Follow Me
by kabakoala
Summary: About a year after his loss during the Lily of the Valley conference, Paul decides to take on the Battle Frontier. By coincidence, Dawn happens to be on her way to Kanto to participates in contests after her journey in Johto. Eventually the two begin to travel together. Paul gains a new rival, who also happens to be a fellow native of Sinnoh.
1. Chapter 1

After his second defeat with the Pyramid King, Paul decided to train at home before heading off to Kanto. The company he had was _that_ girl's friend, though she kept to herself as she watched the battle. His second loss earned him another scolding. His anger got the best of him again and his own Pokemon could feel it in their battle. Their frustration showed Paul they wanted to beat Brandon as badly as he did.

It had been a year since he last saw his rival. Paul always wondered what he was up to and how strong his Pokemon had gotten… Perhaps, he'd have another battle with Ash again. He felt like he had been wasting time at home when he could be entering the Battle Frontier and fighting his way to the Pyramid.

Paul had passed that case his brother put on display. That missing Brave Symbol always bugged him. It was then he decided he had trained at home enough.

"So, you think you're ready, Paul?" His brother asked, leaning against the wall beside his badges.

The younger brother shook his head, "No, not yet… But I can't stay here and train." He looked at that empty spot where the Brave Symbol should be. "But I'm going to do it. And I won't lose against him again." His eyes shifted to Reggie, clenching his fist. He needed to find a way to channel his pent up anger into something better. Standing around and passing by that case would not help him.

"Tell me when you make it there… I'll be with you this time and I know you'll win." The older man smiled at his little brother, patting his shoulder.

Paul nodded in response before gathering up the Pokemon team he decided on, he bid his brother a farewell before he left towards Twinleaf Town. He knew there was a ferry that left for Kanto. Within a few days, he'd be there.

* * *

Returning home from Johto, Dawn was already preparing for the next trip to Kanto. She wanted to enter contests again. It was nice to be home for the next few days, though. Her mother would spoil her after not seeing her daughter for a year. Though, Dawn took relaxing a little too seriously as she slept in later than usual.

Piplup's attempts to wake her up failed several times before Dawn got up in the afternoon. The navy haired girl yawned, rubbing the back of her head. It was normal for her to wake up with bedhead, but she didn't think it'd be as bad as it was this morning. Taking her time getting ready, Dawn dressed rather plainly today.

She had slipped on denim shorts and a pink shirt, not wanting to wiggle out of her clothes when she went dress shopping today. Her mother would keep her company, which was perfect, considering she needed a second opinion. Walking down the streets with her Piplup in her arms, she looked at the shops, deciding what kind of dresses she wanted.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw purple. She stopped for a moment to turn her head, wondering if she could spot a certain someone. Instead, she saw an Aipom resting on its owner's head. A sigh escaped her lips before she faced forward, following her mom that was a bit ahead of her now. She smiled to herself, maybe it was just her missing her friends that she imagined someone that reminded her of them.

"Oh my, excuse me!" Her mother exclaimed, which caught her attention. The woman had bumped into another, who gave her a nod and began walking away.

Dawn's eyes widened and she gasped as she saw _him_. "Paul!" She quickly made her way towards him. He was quite a bit away from Veilstone, perhaps he to take care of something. "W-what's up? What are you here for?" She smiled at him, her hold on Piplup tightening a bit.

"Training… Waiting for the ferry." He simply said, shrugging a bit. His eyes narrowed, her name always escaped his mind. It was strange to see her dressed down like she was, he almost didn't recognize her. "You?" He asked, not really wanting to start small talk, but he needed to figure out how to leave the conversation.

"I-I live around here… B-but you're waiting for the ferry? Are you going to Kanto by any chance?" She questioned, maybe he'd keep her some company on the boat before they arrived to Kanto.

He nodded, "Well, I have some training to do before then. So…" He looked off to the side for a moment, "see you." He turned and left the girl behind.

Dawn shook her head, "Same old Paul…" even after a year, nothing had changed. She hadn't changed too much either though.

Her mother walked to her side and let out a small chuckle. "Wow, Dawn. I never met this friend of yours. I thought Brock and Ash were your traveling companions."

"O-Oh? Paul? I didn't travel with him. He and Ash were rivals. I wouldn't call Paul a friend…" She trailed off, if anything, they were strangers. Dawn was just happy to see someone familiar. But it slipped her mind that he was also a native of Sinnoh.

Another chuckle from her mother, "Oh Dawn, I never knew you had such a shy boyfriend." She look towards the direction Paul headed off to. "Such a handsome boy only fits my cute Dawn."

"Shy? I wouldn't call Paul that-" Dawn turned bright red and huffed at her mother. "B-BOYFRIEND?! UGH, NEVER WITH PAUL!" She looked offended. It was one thing to understand the type of person Paul was, but to date him? It wasn't even something she'd consider. If anything, she had a crush on Ash that had yet to fade. Even the letters or phone calls she gets on occasion made her heart beat a little faster.

"Oh shush, I'm just teasing you, dear. Come now, let's get your new dresses." Her mother took her arm and led her into a store.

* * *

Today was the day, she was leaving home again to set out on a new Journey. Dawn had stayed up most of the night out of excitement and had only a few hours sleep. She said her goodbyes to her mother, promising to call her every now and then. Walking up the ramp, onto the boat, she was waving to her mother. It felt weird to be the one on this boat, when her mother was at the place she was a year ago. Running to the end of the ship, she said her final goodbye before the ship left the dock. She would've stayed home longer, but she wanted to start training in Kanto for her contests.

When she finally settled, she decided to check into her room. She was given a key, despite them saying that her door should be unlocked. She wondered how safe it was to keep the door unlocked, but if she had any complaints, she was more than welcome to return to the front desk. Perhaps it was kept unlocked for travelers with excessive luggage.

Looking at the room key number, it had read: 441. After being directed to her designated floor, it was a matter of finding the door with her number. Looking up at the plates, she finally found her room and entered, locking the door behind her. She turned the light on, looking around the room. There were two beds rather than one. It was something she was used to seeing after her travels with Brock and Ash. She found it funny, since she didn't have company with her when checking in.

She shrugged it off, maybe she was just lucky and got a bigger room. Dropping her things, she kicked her boots off, stripped her clothes off and folded them neatly. Placing her clothes on the dresser, she dug through her bag and pulled out a night gown.

"Oh no, I must've packed this by accident!" She sighed, wanting to pack her tracksuit-like pajamas. Slipping them on, she would ask her mother to send it when she woke up from her nap. After a restless night, she knew it was best for her to just sleep. She picked the bed closest to the door, since it was more convenient. Crawling under the bedsheets, she slowly closed her eyes. Usually she'd have Piplup with her, but she was sure her companion was sleeping in his Pokeball.

* * *

"So you're on your way, Paul. Good luck." Reggie smiled, a little disappointed he didn't see his brother off.

Standing in front videophone, Paul nodded, looking at the Pokemon standing behind his brother.

"Did you want to trade any Pokemon?" His brother asked, "Seems to me, you want to bring them all with you." He laughed.

Paul had dropped his Pokemon off to a sort of daycare, since he probably had no room for his bigger Pokemon to roam around. "No… This will be my team for now. Once I get to Kanto and figure out which Frontier Brain I'll be facing first…"

"Alright then. I'll see you soon, Paul."

The video screen went black and the teen left the booth. His Pokemon weren't ready for Brandon. But they were ready for any other Frontier Brain. He knew they were more than ready. He was ready and confident in his power that he could win.

Walking towards the check-in desk, Paul had given the man the necessary information to get his room. He made haste to find his assigned room and study the map of Kanto for the quickest routes to each Frontier Brain. Scanning his room key, the door clicked and he entered the room. It was dark, with the curtains drawn.

Hopefully he'd resist the urge to sleep in, even if the journey would take a few days. He couldn't relax completely, but he couldn't exactly train his Pokemon. He removed his shoes, placing them off to the side and entered the bathroom. He'd take a quick shower and then head out to get some food. If he was feeling a little more lazy, he could always order room service.

He couldn't find towels set up in the bathroom, so he assumed they were placed in the nearby dresser. Though, he found a neat pile of clothes on the dresser. Picking up the largest article of clothing, he recognized the tank top from somewhere. Looking at the rest of the clothes, he realized just whose it was. He was quick to turn around and finally notice the body underneath the blanket of the bed.

Turning on the hotel room light, he looked at his key card and then the one she had left beside her clothes. They were both definitely in the same room and the cards were both the same.

The girl had shifted in the bed. Paul walked over to her and took her shoulder into his hand. He gently shook her, thinking she'd break like a toothpick if he was too rough on her. She groaned, covering her head with the blanket.

"Five more minutes, Piplup…" She mumbled, smiling as she went back to a comfortable position.

"In five more minutes, I'm putting you out of this room." Paul threatened, his voice harsher than usual. "Get up, girl." He shook her a little harder. Getting no response, he grunted, peeling the blanket off of her. His eyes widened a bit, seeing her dress hitched up enough for him to get a peek of something light blue. He quickly turned his head away, a bit embarrassed at his actions.

With her legs exposed to the coolness of the room, Dawn sat up and looked over at Paul with a pout. It took her a moment to realize her mom hadn't gotten her up and she quickly covered herself. "P-Paul!? What are you doing in my room!?"

"I could be asking you the same thing." Dark eyes glared at the girl sitting on the bed. "Apparently we were given the wrong keys, since both our key cards are designated for this room. He held up the two keys and she examined them.

"Ah! What in the world? I'm sure they'll be willing to give one of us a different room if we explain them the situation…" Dawn rose from the bed and handed the keys back to Paul, pushing him out of the room. "Let me change and we'll go together, okay?" She didn't give him time to respond as she shut the door.

Paul was relieved to see that she didn't take too long to get dressed, handing her a key, they walked together to the check-in desk. The man they had spoken with earlier gave them both a kind smile and then asked what they needed assistance with.

"Well," Dawn started, "we were given the same room by mistake it seems. We'd like it very much if you were to separate us…" She smiled back, hoping Paul didn't randomly say anything rude to this person.

"If that was a mistake, incompetence is to blame." He sneered.

Dawn sighed, she spoke too soon. "Paul, c'mon, give him a break…"

"Ah, you see…" The desk man rubbed the back of his head, "This ship is already quite full and since you were the last two to purchase your tickets, we had to put you in the same space." He bowed apologetically, "Please forgive me for forgetting to inform you about the arrangement. We will compensate you with free food and room service."

Paul clicked his tongue, about to give this man a piece of his mind for making things more inconvenient for him. Dawn caught him getting angrier and spoke up for the both of them. "Thank you very much, please excuse us." She grabbed his sleeve, tugging Paul away from the desk.

"What do you think you're doing, girl?!" He was furious, but didn't pull his arm back. He had gotten on her bad side before, he planned on keeping her calm if he could help it.

"Look, we aren't complete strangers, as long as we respect each other's privacy, then we should survive a few days together." Dawn let him go when they were far enough. "Plus free stuff is always nice, so let's make the most of it somehow." She sighed.

Paul huffed and looked away. "Fine, but don't bother me." He walked away, going about the business he had before finding her in his room.

The bluenette stood there and shook her head. She supposed she could check her Pokemon in as well, since she doubted the staff would be happy with a Mamoswine walking around the ship. She still needed to call her mother anyway.

* * *

Walking into the room with her Piplup, Dawn saw Paul sitting on his bed, wearing a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. He had a map in his hands, looking at the most efficient route to battle each Frontier Brain. They'd be arriving at Fuchsia City, so he drew out each location. His head lifted and shifted his gaze at the girl in the room.

"H-Hi." She felt so awkward being in the same room as him. Covering her mouth, she remembered she had to keep to herself as much as possible.

"You're supposed to put your Pokemon in a daycare for now." He said, gesturing towards the little penguin Pokemon.

The blue bird hopped onto her bed, settling itself on it. Dawn nodded, "I did, but I keep Piplup with me if I'm allowed to." She made her way to the small end table, picking up the menu. It was dinner time now, so she couldn't ignore her hungry tummy anymore. Sitting beside her Pokemon, she looked through the menu. "We should have something, huh Piplup?" The penguin agreed, taking his place on her lap, reading the menu with her.

When she settled on her order, she looked over at the boy who had gone to back to his business. She crawled over to the edge of her bed, handing him the menu. "If you're hungry, you should tell me what you want, so we can eat together." She smiled at him for a moment, before getting a bit flustered. "Un-Unless you wanna eat alone."

"Just get another order whatever you're getting. I don't really care what I eat." Paul took out a book, deciding that was more interesting than dealing with her.

"S-Sure." She hopped off her bed, picking up the room's phone and placing her orders. Acting so friendly around Ash's rival was still so strange. She had gotten used to him being so anti-social, it was hard to keep herself from being curious about him. Whenever she saw him, she was excited, since it gave her an opportunity to learn about this mysterious boy.

While she waited for her food to come, she decided she'd take a bath. Anything to get away from Paul. Gathering her nightgown, she and Piplup went to the bathroom and she made extra sure to lock the door. Getting herself undressed, she was preparing the bath. Her bird friend already jumped into the tub, splashing in the water that was rising. When the tub was three-quarters of the way full, she turned off the water, slipping in it herself.

Sharing a room with a stranger was bad enough. She didn't know how she'd handle the next few days… Maybe she should've made a big deal out of it. Or let Paul blow up in the poor desk-man's face. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice Piplup pouring an excessive amount of bubble bath into the tub. He splashed around, forming the bubbles more quickly.

"Ah! Piplup, what did you do?!" Dawn giggled, playing with the bubbles. She smiled at Piplup, stacking the bubbles on the Pokemon's head. "What a handsome boy you are, that hairstyle suits you!"

From outside of the bathroom, Paul could hear the girl playing around like a child. He rolled his eyes, there's no way he could think of read in peace with the noise she was making. Putting his book down, he laid down, staring at the ceiling. He wondered if his lineup for his battle against Brandon would work out for the best. This though it was a ways away, he had his final battle thought out thoroughly. Perhaps his plan will change once he challenges the other Frontier Brains.

A knock came to the door, a person at the door shouted: "Room Service". Getting up from his bed, Paul approached the door, opening it up to let in the person holding the food. Just in time, he was actually getting hungry. Thankfully, the girl was still enjoying her bath, so he'd get to eat alone and then wander off to check on his Pokemon.

Flipping on the television, Paul took his own portion and sat on his bed. Another challenger went up against Cynthia. She seemed to be winning once more, her opponent was rather panicked. After his win against Brandon, he'd be going up against her. He would be the champion of his own home region and his very first Pokemon would be just like her Garchomp. Torterra would be the only Pokemon he'd ever call out, since that's all it'd take. He sighed, fantasizing like this was what kids did.

Cynthia was the victor again, which was typical. His own battle with her a year ago taught him a lot. He didn't think he would truly win, but it helped him understand her in some way. Soon, he'd be up again, challenging her to a full battle.

"Man, that was nice!" The girl's voice got his attention as she rubbed her wet hair with a towel. Her tiny Pokemon followed behind, seemingly agreeing with her. The sweet smell of her soap filled the room. Paul found it very unpleasant.

She had walked in just in time to see Cynthia holding onto her Champion title. "She sure is something…" Dawn said to no one in particular. She looked over at Paul, who was frowning more than usual. She could understand if he was frustrated. To be a Pokemon Master, he had to become the best. She'd like to see him take on Cynthia again, hoping he had become stronger than ever. Turning away from him, she decided it was best not to stare too much.

* * *

The first night was incredibly awkward. She had laid there, a still nervous about him with her. At some point, she shifted her position to the opposite direction. The moon was bright and the light seeped through the window of the ship. She could clearly see his sleeping face. So calm and not as intimidating as he usually looked. Was this what his face looked like when he was completely relaxed? Hiding her head under the pillow, she didn't want to watch him sleep like some creep.

In the morning, they had to take turns getting ready. She was first, since he was kind enough to let her. Maybe he wanted to get more sleep, since he was still underneath the covers when she came out.

The two had breakfast together and she followed him around the ship. He said something about a specific place that was only for Pokemon battles. He wanted to watch to see if anyone was worth battling on the ship. Dawn, however, found it to be a fun idea to battle.

"I'm entering." She said to him. They were allowed 3 Pokemon at most and at a certain size and weight. Paul rolled his eyes, not wanting to waste his time getting his Pokemon out to fight someone who couldn't last a turn with him. Though, his Rival's coordinator friend wanting to battle piqued his interest just a bit. He assumed she didn't fancy regular battles, considering she had to showcase her Pokemon's moves in her contests. He watched only a bit of her battles in the Wallace cup, but he lost interest when he saw Ash was wasting his time.

The referee stood at the center and called out Dawn's name. Paul (who they assumed was her companion) got to sit on the sidelines and watch the battle play out. The Piplup she carried around sat beside him, cheering on his trainer. Her opponent called out a Venusaur. Paul assumed it was all over for her as soon as he saw that Powerhouse of a Pokemon.

"Typhlosion, Spotlight!"

Dark eyes focused on her fully evolved Pokemon. Not only was this a strong Pokemon, but she also had the advantage. Still, he was curious about that Typhlosion. Perhaps she'll give him something entertaining.

"Venusaur, Razor Leaf, let's go!" Her opponent ordered. The giant Pokemon obeyed, a fury of leaves heading towards Typhlosion.

"Aim at the leaves and use Eruption!" Opening it's mouth, the fire Pokemon let out a powerful attack, burning through the Razor Leaf attack.

"Quick, dodge it, Venusaur!" The plant Pokemon tried to avoid the attack, but found itself being hit directly. It was knocked to the ground and for a moment it looked like it wouldn't move. Though, it's trainer pleaded for it to stand and so it did while staggering a bit.

"Flame Wheel, Typhlosion!" Dawn pointed at their target.

"Double edge, Venusaur!" The Pokemon charged at the spinning Typhlosion, knocking it back and lessening the damage of Flame Wheel. It winced at the recoil, but stood it's ground.

Suddenly, it burst into flames. The trainer gasped, knowing full well it was burned. "While Typhlosion is down, charge up your Solar Beam!" Obeying its trainer, the Pokemon gathered energy on its back.

"We'll finish this, Typhlosion, wait." Dawn ordered.

Paul narrowed his eyes, not sure what she was up to. Even if Solar Beam was a grass type move, he was sure her Pokemon was done for if it made contact.

"NOW VENUSAUR!" Now fully charged, the energy was aimed directly at the waiting Typhlosion.

"Jump and use Flame Wheel!" Before the Solar Beam made contact, her Pokemon launched itself in the air and spun, surrounding itself with fire. It hit the Venusaur and Typhlosion jumped itself back to its side of the field.

Venusaur stood for a moment, looking to stand its ground before it fell.

"Venusaur is unable to battle! First win goes to Dawn!"

The blue haired girl cheered and hugged her Pokemon. "You were awesome, Typhlosion!" She looked over at Paul, who gave her a small nod. She took it as some sort of congratulations and got a little flustered. Returning her Pokemon to its ball, she picked out another one, letting her out. A Togekiss hovered above the field, ready for battle.

Wanting to avenge his Venusaur, the opponent sent out a Glaceon, wanting this to be an easy win. He was also quick to make the first move. "Ice Beam, Glaceon!" The Eeveelution shot out a ray of ice towards the Togekiss.

She had the disadvantage. Paul wasn't confident in that cutesy Pokemon's ability to hold up. "Dodge it and use Air Slash!" The Togekiss wasn't fast enough and was hit by the Ice Beam. "No!" Dawn watched as her Pokemon collapsed on the ground. "Please get up, Togekiss!" She perked up, seeing that her Pokemon was okay.

"Ice Shard, Glaceon!"

Dawn gasped, "Dodge it, Togekiss!" She wasn't fast enough and the Togekiss was bombarded by the ice shards. Staying strong, the Pokemon stood she ground, refusing to fall. "That's the spirit!" Dawn cheered, but still worried, knowing her Togekiss couldn't take anymore damage.

"It's over, use Ice Fang!" The opposing trainer commanded as Glaceon charged towards the weakened Togekiss.

"Quick, fly in the air and use Aura Sphere!" The Togekiss moved higher above the field and launched a concentrated ball towards Glaceon. When it made contact, Dawn didn't let her opponent even blink before she gave another command. "Charge up with Sky Attack!" Togekiss began to glow brightly, readying her attack.

Paul let out an exhaled laugh through his nose. So she was using the other trainer's previous strategy. He wondered if she had enough time to fall through her attack.

The other trainer was pleading his Glaceon to get up. Knowing it had taken a lot of damage, he knew he had a chance to defeat Dawn if his Glaceon was faster. The ice Pokemon stood slowly, ready for an order. "Ice Beam before it comes down!" The familiar ray was heading straight for Togekiss.

"Spin and use Sky Attack!" She had finished gathering energy and charged down towards the Glaceon. She spun around the Ice Beam, dodging the attack.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The boy shouted, while his Glaceon was still trying to hit the Togekiss. Unfortunately for them, the Togekiss' slammed into the Glaceon and it flew backwards, sliding across the floor.

The referee looked at the fallen Pokemon and raised a hand. "Glaceon is unable to battle, Dawn is the winner!" He announced loudly. The small crowd of people clapped for the victor.

The blunette gasped and ran over to her Togekiss, giving it a hug. "You were amazing!" She pet the Pokemon, giving her endless praise. Looking over at the defeated trainer, she offered him a small smile. "Thanks for the battle, you were great too!"

Her opponent nodded, "You too…" He returned the Glaceon, thanking it.

Returning Togekiss back it her own ball as well, she approached Paul. "More than meets the eye, huh, Paul?" She joked, "I hope you enjoyed my battle…"

He shook his head, turning away from her. "Not bad for a coordinator." Out of all honestly, he was impressed she held her own like that, especially when she was at a disadvantage.

She had taken ahold of his sleeve, smiling. "Will you… battle too?" She scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. "I'd like to watch you too."

Paul tugged his sleeve back, shoving his hands in his pockets. "No. I'm not interested in these trainers." Before he was able to walk away, she ran to his side.

"Well, I'll be battling myself then. I'll see you around!" Dawn turned to skip off to switch her Pokemon. Approaching the Nurse Joy on the ship, she handed over two Pokeballs and asked for Pachirisu and Mamoswine. Retrieving her Pokemon, she turned to see Paul right behind her.

"I'll battle you." He said, taking her place in front of the desk.

Blue eyes widened as she watched him request his own Pokemon. A feeling of excitement and nervousness ran over her. He led her to an empty field without a rep. They didn't have an audience, so he didn't have any distractions. Her battling style was based around contests, of course. He merely wanted to observe her.

"Three on Three. No Substitutions. Battle is over when there are two wins." He announced and waited for her nod. Reaching into his pocket, he threw out his Ursaring.

Piplup stood by Dawn and asked to be put in. Looking down at her penguin, she smiled and shook her head. "Oh no, Piplup. I know that Ursaring is strong, I'm not saying you're not, but I gotta be smart about this… You understand." She sighed, knowing her Pokemon was excited now that it got to see her battle. Throwing out her own Pokeball, she yelled "Buneary, Spotlight!"

The small rabbit Pokemon looked even tinier when put up against Ursaring. Paul clicked his tongue, as if that thing stood a chance. "You get the first move."

"Thanks." She balled her hands into fists, wondering what she should do. Then it hit her. "Buneary, use Ice Beam at Ursaring's feet!"

"Get out of the way!" Paul commanded as the Ice Beam turned the floor into ice.

"Keep up the ice beam, Buneary!" Dawn smiled seeing the majority of the floor was now slippery. Ursaring avoided each attack and waited for his trainer's orders.

"Hammer arm, stop that Buneary." Paul had his arms folded over his chest, waiting for the best time to attack and knock out Dawn's Pokemon.

The Ursaring charged towards the Pokemon, letting the Ice Beam hit it. Though, it didn't look effective, since the bear Pokemon was nearing Buneary. "Use Bounce!" Dawn yelled, watching the Hammer Arm miss. "While you're up there, use Jump Kick!"

Paul's eyes widened. She was a fast thinker. "Move Ursaring!" His arms uncrossed as he had to witness the Ursaring slip because of the ice. The Jump Kick hit the Pokemon directly.

"Good, use Bounce while you're still on Ursaring!" Her Pokemon grunted in response, jumping off the Ursaring when the previous attack was fully executed.

The purple haired boy clicked his tongue again, "Ursaring, don't bother getting up. Use Focus Blast!" With a cry of approval, Ursaring put it's hands together and gathered up energy. It threw the blue ball towards the Buneary still in the air.

Dawn wasn't able to give an order when her Buneary was blasted. Falling to the floor, she saw her Buneary was knocked out completely. "Oh no!" She ran over, nearly slipping on the ice itself before she caught the falling Pokemon. She held her and smiled, "Wonderful job, Buneary, you deserve a good rest…" She recalled Buneary.

Looking up, she saw Paul was doing the same. He had a different expression, it seemed.

With the floor still slippery, she wondered what Pokemon Paul would use.

"Honchkrow, standby for battle!" A white flash revealed the Big Boss Pokemon.

Wanting the type advantage, Dawn sent out her Pachirisu. Though, she wasn't completely confident. Paul didn't care about type advantages. He stood there and gestured for her to make the first move.

"Pachirisu, store up energy and use Discharge!" The small Pokemon's cheeks were filled with sparks as it readied its Discharge.

"Sky Attack!"

The Honchkrow didn't take nearly as much time as her Togekiss did to dive down and hit her Pachirisu. It was a short match, seeing her Pachirisu wasn't able to even move. She heaved a sigh, returning the Pachirisu. A little disappointed she couldn't do much this match, she gave Paul a small smile.

"Thank you. I should've known you were stronger than ever, Paul."

He walked over to her after he recalled Honchkrow. She assumed he was going to scold her, but instead he let out a hum.

"Let's go. It's almost lunch time." He said, feeling a little awkward inviting her to join him.

A large smile crept on her lips as she nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the second night she shared with Paul. They agreed to take turns using the bathroom to get ready in the morning and at night. However, he walked in, knowing she was brushing her teeth, joining her. He didn't look at himself in the mirror, instead he stared at the faucet. Occasionally, her eyes couldn't help but glance at him. She wondered if she was the only other person that wasn't his brother to see him like this.

Instead of his baggy dark jacket, he wore a short sleeved shirt that showed off his tanned arms. He wasn't impressively muscular nor were his muscles defined, but it was still something to admire. Somehow, he made the messy act of brushing his teeth look cool. He stopped so suddenly and looked over at her.

The foam of her toothpaste was all over her mouth and toothbrush, nearly running down her hand. Embarrassed, she turned away, going about her business. In some way, she felt nostalgic. Sometimes she got to share as sink with Ash and admire him for a few moments. A blush crept on her face, thinking about how casual Ash was around her… If she didn't know him well, she would've been filled with false hope. It wasn't like she wanted to get rid of the crush she had on him. It was really nice for her to feel warm thinking about him.

Dawn finished freshening up first, heading to her bed with the now sleeping Piplup. Ah, she'd taken too long. Right now, she was feeling quite content and wanted to cuddle up with her partner. Paul soon exited the bathroom, turning off the lights so the both of them to get some sleep.

"Goodnight, Paul." She sang, sighing happily. Hopefully she'd have dreams about Ash, since he'd be the last person she was going to think about before going to bed.

"Hm." The boy replied, not wanting to talk more than necessary.

He laid there, staring at the ceiling. When his mind wasn't thinking about battles, he tended to let it wander. That girl was looking at him longer than was comfortable. Seeing her face all flustered like it was made him think she was still a child. No wonder Ash enjoyed her company, those two were alike.

Turning his head slowly, his eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw her sleeping soundly. This person always cheered on and stood up for Ash. She'd fight back when Paul would rile up Ash. He'd gotten used to getting glares from her and the taller companion. It wasn't like it bothered him anyway, he wanted to be the best. Petty things like friendship would only slow him down.

Knowing full well Ash was his opposite, Paul knew his rival would beg to differ. He sighed, perhaps he was letting his mind run too much now and he needed to get to sleep.

Paul was first to wake up, thankfully. It wasn't hard for him to stay quiet as he had gotten ready for the day. Not wanting to get fully dressed, he called for food to be sent to his room. When asking if he needed anything else, he looked over at the sleeping girl and had no idea why he ordered food for her as well.

Sharing a room with anyone was something he didn't like the idea of in the first place. Sharing one with a girl was even worse… It wasn't like he felt awkward about girls anyway. Most wouldn't dare stand by him, let alone touch him with an eighty foot pole. Maybe it was his intimidating aura or unfriendly look on his face. It was best that way anyway, less people who wanted to annoy him.

However, this girl didn't seem to mind even touching him. She had her hands around his arm, scolding him as she'd done in the past. His attitude alone had made people angry, but she was probably the only one to try to keep things civil… Besides Ash, of course. It certainly justified him comparing her to Ash.

A tired girl rose from her bed, stretching her arms and smiling. She said her "Good Morning" as she got up from bed. For whatever reason, she seemed happier than usual.

Paul had only witnessed her in the morning once, but he was sure she had a pleasant dream. It didn't really bother him, not unless she was going to annoy him. Instead of greeting her back, he only grunted. Food was on his mind and it was taking so long to get to him.

* * *

They finally arrived to Fuchsia City. Paul wasted to time to head off to train. Dawn ran after him, not wanting to be left behind. If anything, she really wanted to see the rest of his Pokemon after all this time. Walking behind him, Dawn held her Piplup closer.

"Can I watch you train?" She asked.

"I don't care," He said, trying to ignore the girl behind him. After dealing with this person for the last few days, he wondered if he could take anymore of her. Hands in his pockets, he moved to the forest area.

The city they left behind was shiny and nice, so he didn't understand why his training was more interesting than sight-seeing. He was sure that was something girls tended to do, then again, he was rarely in the company of females. When they entered a clearing, Paul called out all of his Pokemon on hand.

Dawn's eyes shined as she saw Torterra was on his team. Approaching the giant Pokemon, she ran her hand gingerly over his head. Thoughts of Ash's own Torterra ran through her mind. She let her face fall for a moment before she smiled.

Her time with the Torterra was cut short when she heard Paul clear his throat. She laughed nervously before taking a seat on the grass to watch him in action. His training style was just the same. It seemed like his poor Ursaring was getting all the heat. Though, she knew it was powerful, she wondered why he seemed so hard on it now.

"You're slacking again, get up." He ordered in a stern voice. Watching the Ursaring obey him, he could only hope the Pokemon could keep up. "Honchkrow, Aerial Ace. Electivire, Thunder Punch. Magmortar, Fire Punch. Ursaring, grab Honchkrow and throw him. Then grab and Push Electivire and Magmortar."

Dawn watched in amazement as Ursaring was fast enough to catch the charging Honchkrow, throwing him in another direction. Then grabbing ahold of the attacks from Electivire and Magmortar, trying to push them forward. The earth underneath Ursaring's feet caved in as it used all it's power to move.

"You can do it, Ursaring!" Dawn cheered, wanting the bear Pokemon to succeed. The dark eyes of Ursaring glanced at Dawn for a moment and slowly moved the other Pokemon away from it. Its arms weakened and Ursaring was pushed back and the punches landed a hit.

Paul bit the inside of his cheek and sighed. "Again, Ursaring, your training isn't done until you can do it."

The girl stood from her place and she ran over to the Ursaring, watching as it had rose from the ground.

"That's enough, Paul… I saw him do it." She gave Ursaring a sympathetic look. "It's unfair that you pit him against such powerful Pokemon like that on his own."

"If you don't like it, leave. I'm here to win, not to baby my Pokemon." He spat at her, then looked at the giant Pokemon in front of him. "Are you ready, Ursaring?"

The bear let out a growl and a smirk, pointing at it's chest, wanting another go.

"Wow… after those two big hits, you still wanna go with it, Ursaring?" Dawn asked, knowing full well it was a strong Pokemon, but she supposed it applied to willpower as well. Getting out of the way, she returned to her place and watched the same scene go down.

Sometimes the Ursaring failed completely and ended up on the ground before it can throw Honchkrow away. Watching the Ursaring stand tall after getting hit by such powerful moves inspired Dawn. She suddenly got up again and ran to the opposite side of the clearing, letting out her Pachirisu and Typhlosion.

"I got a new combination guys! Paul's Pokemon totally made me think of how cool this'll look!" They nodded as they waited for a command.

"So, Typhlosion, aim up and use Flamethrower!" She watched as her Pokemon obeyed, "Now, Pachirisu, use Discharge at the Flamethrower!" She watched as the thunder attack sprang around the flames and over the top. She sighed, thinking she had something going… She wanted to combine Fire and Thunder like Paul had and make it shine.

Then it hit her. "Pachirisu, use Discharge in the sky again and Typhlosion, use Ember!"

Charging up before it let the thunder out, Pachirisu had itself surrounded by the sparks, nearly hitting Dawn and Typhlosion. The Ember aimed towards the thunder move, before it exploded into ash and sparks all around them. Needless to say, it was a beautiful display around them. Dawn cheered and hugged her Pokemon, thanking them for a job well done.

"Let's do it again, alright? We wanna make sure to make the most of this combo." She said, her Pokemon agreed with a nod and readied themselves.

When Dawn had finished her training, she went over to Paul who was still doing the same thing with his Ursaring. This time, she saw the Pokemon was now paralyzed and even more injured. It was still holding onto Electivire and Magmortar. Paul had his fists clenched, instead of in his pockets.

A glint in Ursaring's eye caused the corner of Paul's lips to twitch. With a powerful roar, Ursaring pushed back the two Pokemon and sent them flying behind Paul. It panted heavily with a smirk on it's face.

"Good job." Though his tone was emotionless, he was genuine with his praise. "Let that be a lesson to the rest of you. We need to react with quickly and be able to be at full power regardless of your condition." The Pokemon gathered around him, and he let out a sigh. "We'll call it a day. Nice work." He recalled all his Pokemon and finally noticed Dawn's huge smile.

"You're awfully quiet." He wondered if he should've said anything at all, the silence from her was nice.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" She cried out, "Such a powerful Pokemon, Ursaring is lucky to have someone like you to believe in him." Dawn rubbed her arm bashfully. "Th-though you don't say it outloud, I bet he knows what you're thinking."

Paul shook his head, "I have expectations from Ursaring. I don't think Ursaring intends to let me down. In return, I have confidence in my Pokemon." He looked away, "So when I praise them, it means more to them. Which is why it is rare."

Dawn only nodded as she listened to him. "Well… since it's been a long day for you, maybe we should head to the Pokemon Center." She paused and then got a bit flustered. Inviting Paul to walk with her. She's probably bothered him enough. She just felt so awkward talking to him still…

"Sure." He simply said, heading back to the city.

The bluenette kept her distance from him, staying one step behind. He walked faster than her anyway, so even if she wanted to walk by his side, she'd have to pick up her own pace. They walked in silence for a while until he finally spoke up.

"How's Ash?" He asked.

Dawn jumped a bit at him suddenly talking like that. Then she nodded, "He's doing great. His travel in Kalos is doing good for him it seems."

"And how's Infernape with him?"

"You didn't know? Ash doesn't usually use Pokemon from his previous travels. Infernape is with Professor Oak." Dawn blinked in confusion as he stopped walking. "Ash likes to start over… or so he told me."

She watched his hands ball up. He took a deep breath to relax himself and then moved again.

"What a waste." Paul mumbled to himself. "Preaching close bonds with your Pokemon are important and leaving behind Pokemon he calls his 'friends'." His tone was harsher now, something she hadn't heard since he first met Ash.

Dawn had nothing else to say to him. The boy beside her was intimidating. She understood was he was angry, so she really didn't have a point to defend Ash's actions. Infernape was the one to defeat Electivire in their final battle. She wondered if he was attached to that Chimchar he let go in some way. Though he had no direct control of it's training, Paul had seen it grow in someone else's care. Watching his rival perfect an ability he wanted to use.

They entered the Pokemon Center together and gave Nurse Joy their Pokeballs. Dawn excluded her Piplup. The Lobby was filled with trainers that came off the boat they were on previously. When they requested their rooms, Nurse Joy gave them an apologetic look.

"I have very few rooms open due to the several trainers from today's ferry. I do have one with enough beds for the both of you. I hope that's alright." She asked, hoping they'd say yes. "You two look like you're friends."

Dawn stood in front of Paul before he protested. "Ah, yes! We don't mind." She took the keys and bowed to Nurse Joy. Suddenly she remembered something. "Oh, that's right. Please do tell me when a package arrives for me. My name is Dawn."

"Oh, alright. Sorry again about my request. Thank you for understanding."

The two departed from the desk, Dawn handed over Paul's key. He looked less than pleased.

"For your sudden outburst, I expect compensation." He remarked sarcastically.

Taking his arm, "Then I'll treat you to dinner, c'mon." Dawn dragged him out finally able to explore the city. It was a small city and all the street lights were on. Paul watched as Piplup bounced up and down on Dawn's bag. Losing his grip, the Pokemon flew towards the teen. He grabbed the Pokemon in time and reluctantly held the penguin as he was pulled along.

They were on the sidewalk, looking for a good place to eat. Dawn still had a vice grip on Paul's wrist, as if letting go would cause him to run. When they stopped, Paul pulled his arm back and grunted.

"Were you always this rough on your boyfriend? Ash must have a high tolerance." Paul mused, handing back her Piplup. He was amused to see she had turned completely red at his comment.

"A-Ash, my boyfriend?!" She hid her face behind Piplup, trying to calm down. "I wouldn't mind that…" She mumbled, forgetting about his first statement.

Folding his arms over his chest, the purple haired boy gestured over at the door they stood in front of. "Seems like a good place to eat. Let's go." He smirked, her little crush on Ash could be used to his advantage. She was quieter when he mentioned the energetic teen.

"R-Right!"

* * *

Dawn had gotten up late that morning. She saw Paul's bed was made and his things were gone. Panicking to get ready, Dawn jumped out of her bed, rushing in hopes she'd catch Paul. She doubted he'd say goodbye if he was really leaving. Piplup's eyes watched as she ran around the room, getting dressed and running out to the lobby. She caught him getting his Pokemon and walking towards the front door. Dawn was hurrying to get her own Pokeballs to run after him.

Dawn quickly bowed to Nurse Joy and sped out of the Pokemon Center. Looking around, she spotted purple and ran towards the teen. "Paul!" She cried out, finally catching up with him.

He turned to see she was beside him again. He sighed, wanting to avoid her today. It was the final straw for him at this point. It was exhausting keeping up with her energy.

"The least you could do was say 'bye'..." She pouted, holding her Piplup a little tighter.

Another sigh, "Well, I have a big day. She'll go away for another week if I don't hurry." He replied.

"She? Who's she?" Dawn blinked, did Paul have a date? She suddenly felt her face heat up. "I-is your girlfriend visiting? O-Oh no, am I making you look bad?" Dawn was in another panic, hoping she didn't give the wrong impression.

Paul let out a snort, "Girlfriend? I don't think so." He could see the Battle Pike from here now. "I'm battling a Frontier Brain."

They neared the giant Seviper building, Dawn's eyes widened as she admired the design. "So can I watch?" She was smiling, finally being able to see him battle.

"Whatever." He muttered, walking through the doors. She was close behind, excited. It was her second time being on a Frontier Brain's battle field.

"It's quite rude to invite yourself like that. Who do you think you are?" A slender and beautiful woman asked, obviously upset at Paul dropping in so suddenly. Three other girls came over to yell at Paul and his rudeness. He wasn't shaken up by these people, instead he pushed his way to the woman.

"I want to battle." He stated, staring at the person in front of him.

She gave him a small smile, "Very well. Let's battle… But I'll make it quick."

The challenger and the Frontier Brain go themselves prepared on the opposite sides of the field. Dawn hurried to the stands, sitting on the far end, away from the three girls who ganged up on Paul.

"He's nothing compared to you, Queen Lucy!" One yelled.

"Yeah, this chump won't last one minute with you!" Another laughed.

Dawn only frowned at these girls. She put down her Piplup and ran off elsewhere to an appropriate place to make it fair. The field was still being set up, so she had a short amount of time.

Paul was being bombarded by comments that he wasn't good enough to beat the Pike Queen. He wondered who was the kid here…

The referee put his flags up, ready to start the battle. "It'll be a two on two battle, when both Pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the other side will be the victor." Dragging the flags down, he yelled "Begin!"

Dawn came back just in time to see Lucy calling out her Seviper. She was fully dressed in a pink cheerleading outfit. It wasn't her intention to distract Paul, but embarrass him a little. And of course, cheer for him.

Lifting her pom poms in the air, she chanted "There's no need to worry, Paul, you can beat her and win this brawl!" Piplup was jumping with her. This only made Lucy's sisters cheer even louder.

Lucy giggled, "That's quite the friend you have there, Paul."

He clicked his tongue, "She's not my friend." He said. Pulling out his Pokeball, threw it to the field. "Ursaring, Standby for battle!"

"You may have the first move, Trainer." Lucy offered, not really confident that a Normal type was any match for her Seviper.

Paul nodded, "Bulk up, let's go." He ordered, listening to a roar as his Pokemon strengthened itself.

The woman snickered, "You think that'll help you? C'mon, Seviper, use Poison Tail!"

"Guard, Ursaring." The Pokemon put its arms in front of itself and was pushed back by the slash of the Seviper's tail. Purple sparks covered Ursaring. After another loud roar, Ursaring was covered in a crimson aura, it's eyes glowing red.

"What the-?" Lucy's eyes widened, "Seviper, keep your distance!" She couldn't attack with close combat, otherwise her Seviper could get severely injured. If she waited for Ursaring to charge on it's own, and she evaded attacks, Ursaring could pass out from the poison.

"Focus Blast!" Ursaring charged up a ball in its paws, throwing it towards Seviper.

"Dodge it!" The serpent moved out of the way as quick as it could. The attack had missed. Lucy sighed in relief. She watched as the Ursaring panted from being poisoned. It was draining its energy and soon it wouldn't be standing.

"Slash, Ursaring!" Paul wanted to get closer, any landed hit could be fatal. He knew this attack was going to miss.

The woman waited for the Ursaring to get closer. "Block it with your tail and use Bite!" Seviper grabbed the glowing paw and took a bite out of Ursaring's free hand.

Paul smirked, "Hold onto Seviper and use Hyper Beam!"

Lucy watched in horror as the Pokemon squirmed helplessly under the strong Ursaring. "Flamethrower, Seviper!" She cried out, hoping it would be enough to finish off Ursaring.

A white beam collided with the Flamethrower, the dirt around the field cover the two Pokemon after the powerful attack. The two trainers waited for the dust to dissipate. Their spectators had held their breath, hoping the one they were cheering for were still in the game.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle, first round is a tie." The referee called as both Pokemon were knocked out.

The trainers returned their Pokemon. Looking down at the Pokeball, Paul only sighed, placing it in his pocket. Knowing full well what Lucy's next Pokemon would be, Paul let his Electivire out. He knew he had won the fight as soon as he saw Milotic on the water side of the field.

Lucy had to play it safe again, any electric attacks will deal a lot of damage to Milotic, especially since it's sitting on water. "Push back Electivire with Twister!" A giant tornado was hurled toward the electric Pokemon. Electivire was thrown further from Milotic, landing on it's back.

"Get up and use Thunder Punch." He wanted to get as close as he could. If anything, he'd rather have Electivire in the water. The heavy Pokemon was quick to stand and ran towards the Milotic.

"Hydro Pump, don't let it near you!" A powerful blast of water hit Electivire, stopping it from coming closer. She was confident the Pokemon was still out of range.

Paul thought this looked familiar in some way. A small flash of Dawn's Pokemon ran through his mind. "Don't fall, keep your feet on the ground and use Thunder!" The black tails of Electivire shot up as it let out it's electric attack. The Thunder traveled up the Hydro Pump and the attack successfully electrocuted Milotic.

Wincing in pain, the serpent-like Pokemon cried out.

The boy saw the opportunity to attack again. "Thunder Punch, quickly!"

"Dive in the water to dodge, then use Twister!" Milotic submerged itself into the water, spinning it's tail around, making a makeshift whirlpool. Electivire was caught in it, unable to follow through with its move.

"Big mistake." Paul mumbled, "Don't get caught off guard, one more Thunder!"

Dawn watched in amazement as the Whirlpool was now completely covered in yellow sparks, glowing as it made it's way down into the water. She noticed how Electivire was pushed out of the whirlpool by the force of it's own Thunder and landed gracefully on it's feet. Such a powerful Pokemon put on a beautiful display like that. She was inspired by Paul again.

"Milotic is unable to battle, Electivire is the winner! The victor goes to Paul!" The referee gestured his flag to Paul.

The bluenette jumped up, waving her pom poms around. "Yeah Paul! That was absolutely amazing!" Her own Piplup cheered with her. In a way, she felt satisfied he proved the three girls that criticized him wrong.

Lucy thanked her Milotic, returning it to its ball and approached Paul. "Congratulations, here's your Luck Symbol." She handed over the small golden item.

He bowed to her, "Thank you very much." It was his readiness that made him win. Electivire was one of his strongest Pokemon, but he didn't know how short his battle would be with Lucy.

Dawn ran down the stands and beamed brightly at Paul. "You guys were great. And your battle was totally what I needed to motivate myself for my upcoming contest!"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed out battle, now please make haste. I have things to attend to." Lucy quickly said, excusing herself to her disappointed sisters.

"Wow… she's in a hurry-." Dawn noticed Paul was already heading out the door. "Ah! Wait for me!" She picked up Piplup and ran after him.

* * *

Paul leaned against the window, not really caring about what the girl in front of him was blabbing about. She was talking about dresses she had gotten and outfits for her Pokemon. His eyes shifted over to her and she suddenly went quiet.

"I see you were inspired by my combination with Typhlosion and Pachirisu." She smiled, a little proud of herself.

"Well, I guess. It was an interesting move." His gaze went back to the street lights outside. They sat in silence, Dawn occasionally drinking a bit of her smoothie. "Don't run after me tomorrow, I'm leaving for Metallica Island. No contests there last time I checked."

Dawn wanted to protest, defending herself. But she supposed she had bothered him enough. "It's not like I can leave anyway… I have to wait for my package." Getting up from her seat, Dawn excused herself. "Goodnight, Paul. I'll see you around, okay?" She flashed him a small grin and then left him alone.

Finally, peace and quiet. There was no way he'd bump into her again, this region was huge and the location of the Frontier Brains weren't the same as her contests, he was certain. Pulling out the Luck Symbol, he had only five more to go. Five more wins before he could officially challenge Brandon. Five more Frontier Brains until he got to avenge his brother as well as redeem himself.

He got out of his seat and headed to his room. Dawn was fast asleep, thankfully. It was his last night with her and he was relieved. She was exhausting just to be around. He learned it was best to keep his mouth shut, if he didn't want her to ramble or blow up in his face. As he was getting ready for bed, he noticed a note sitting on his pillow. With the help of the bathroom light, he was able to read it.

The note said, Dawn had even doodled herself with a V symbol on her hand. Rolling his eyes, he folded the note and slid it into his bag. He'd probably tease her about this if he ever ran into her again.

 **Note: It's been quite some time since I have written a multi-chapter story. Though, don't go easy with** **criticism** **.**

 **As a side note, Paul will not be calling Dawn "troublesome". I'm not sure when this "troublesome" trend started. But after re-watching DP, he hasn't ever called her that haha**


	3. Chapter 3

Finally in Metallica Island, Paul had to use a map to navigate himself to the Pokemon Center. Froslass was following behind him, in case he had encountered any Pokemon. She was also one of the smallest of his Pokemon and could keep up with his pace no problem. He tended not to have a hard time reaching his destination, but every tree and patch of dirt look exactly the same. There were no landmarks to look out for. He sighed, calling out his Honchkrow. Hopping on the back of the dark Pokemon, they ascended over the trees to see if he was able to spot the Pokemon Center. From the sky he clearly saw the Battle Palace. It wasn't his business to bother the Frontier Brain yet.

Looking around the area, he spotted a giant P on top of a wooden building. There was a clearing that was made specifically for the Pokemon Center. Descending back onto the ground, Paul returned the bird and continued his way to the Pokemon Center. It was better to travel on foot, at least he preferred it that way.

On his way to the Pokemon Center, he had encountered several Pokemon and trained with his Froslass. At his feet were a group of fallen Beedrill. They had chased him down for disturbing their nest. So, leading them far from their home, he took them all out with Froslass alone. He wanted to subdue them, but keep their precious Kakuna away from harm's way. Otherwise, they'd have more reason to attack him.

A loud blast caught his attention. Returning his Froslass, he ran over to the sound. It was a Pokemon Battle for sure. A Magmortar was in his sights now. Behind the fire Pokemon was a boy his age. He had a huge smile on his face. Adjusting his hat, the boy's smile only widened.

"You got this, Mag. Easy Peasy!" He laughed.

"What confidence you have." His opponent mused.

Onyx eyes shifted to the man on the other side of the field. This person was battling none other than Spenser, the Frontier Brain of the Battle Palace. Seeing that this boy with a red hat was using a Magmortar against Spenser's Shiftry made him thankful he had been training Froslass.

Paul tried to keep himself hidden as he watched the battle. A hand suddenly touched his back and he turned to see a plump man smiling at him.

"You must be the newbie around, Paul, right? Man you're a quick one." He adjusted his sunglasses and crossed his arms. "I guess the Battle Palace is your next destination."

The tanned teen wanted to ask, but decided against it. This guy seemed to have his information put together, even if he looked like a tourist. He only nodded, focusing on the battle at hand.

"You see, Luke still got two more Pokemon, while Spenser's down to his last one. Ain't that something?" The man said, eager to see the victor. There was no reason to underestimate either trainer. "The name's Scott, by the way."

Another silent nod.

Paul watched each attack being thrown. Magmortar was stationary for the most part. Fire attacks were always a direct hit, this Magmortar was quite skilled. He wasn't sure he'd compared it to his own Magmortar though. Paul wouldn't call himself arrogant, but he was more confident in his own Magmortar's abilities.

It surprised Paul to see that the two trainers had ran with their Pokemon to another location, he supposed away from trees so Magmortar wouldn't burn anything.

"I can assume you know your stuff, huh kid? Don't need to lecture you about the Frontier Brains, since you jumped right in." Scott laughed, "I look forward to seeing your battle with Spenser. I'll let him know you'll be stopping soon." He walked away, following the direction of the battle so he could continue watching.

The teen turned the opposite way to head to the Pokemon Center. He was thinking about the team he had assembled for Spenser's known Pokemon. Hoping he'd see the Frontier Brain's powerhouses first, he wanted it to be a battle that went down smoothly. As he entered the Pokemon Center, he was greeted by Nurse Joy, who happily took his Pokemon.

Sitting on the couch, he supposed he could kill some time watching television. It displayed a contest going on in Chrysanthemum Island. There he saw that girl that couldn't give him a break. Her navy hair now styled in ringlets and she wore a pink puffy dress that was a little more modest than her usual clothing.

She looked to be in a battle at the moment. A water type was pit against her own electric Pokemon. Paul wasn't ever one to watch contest battles, because of their nature, but he wasn't doing anything. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to see how her styles differed.

A Hydro Pump aimed at the small Pokemon. He watched as Pachirisu spun around the side of the water attack, it's cheeks sparking and then it let out a powerful Discharge. Paul leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. The battle wasn't over yet, even after such an attack. The scoreboard showed that Dawn was losing this contest. Time was running out. He wondered if she could possibly pull it off.

Her opponent called out an Ice Shard, icicles were heading towards the Pachirisu. It was going to be over soon…

It was then Dawn ordered another Discharge and he watched the small body of her Pokemon being covered in a ball of the electric attack. It had stopped the Ice Shard completely, acting as another counter shield. Of course, what is to be expected out of Ash's companion? Still, he was surprised the tiny squirrel could manage such a move.

For a short while, it was back and forth between dodging and hitting. Both scores were going down rapidly. Before long, Pachirisu was close enough to attack with another electric move. When the Discharge hit for the last time, her opponent's Pokemon was knocked out, deeming Dawn the winner.

A boy ran in front of the sofa, trying not to block Paul's view. His red hat was something he recognized. It wasn't long when he realized this was the person battling Spenser.

"Aw, man, I knew I'd miss it!" He exclaimed, a small meat bun hanging from his mouth. He turned to face Paul, a worried look on his face. "T-tell me, do you know who won?" He asked desperately.

The purple haired teen narrowed his eyes, not really sure why it mattered to a trainer like him. "It was the one with the blue hair." Ah, her name escaped him again. "With the Pachirisu."

The person in front of him seemed relieved and genuinely happy. "Oh, thank goodness." He let out a small chuckle, "Today's just my day then, won my third Symbol and Dawn's actually here too!" The boy walked away, with more bounce to his step.

Paul supposed those two were friends. It wasn't really his business, but he didn't really care too much either. Watching this kid actually achieve his goal was enough for him to feel even more confident about his win tomorrow. If a goofy kid like that could do it, then his battle would be no problem.

* * *

It was early morning, as soon as Paul exited the Pokemon Center, the tourist man had approached him. He still had the same weird smile on his face, but Paul assumed he was going to watch his battle as well. Hopefully the pattern of him having an audience didn't become an actual thing. Knowing Paul's bad luck, it could very well be his reality.

"Looks like you're an early bird, Spenser's ready for your battle." He said, pointing to the direction of the Battle Palace.

Paul mumbled a quick "thanks", then walked towards his destination. There was no reason to talk to this man, he had one goal in mind and once that was achieved, he'd head back to Fuchsia City before the day ended. Though he was confident, there was no reason for him to start getting cocky. He knew exactly what Pokemon Spenser had. He didn't regret not watching how the rest of the battle went down yesterday.

A Frontier Brain was smart enough to not let type disadvantages stop them. Which is what made his battles with them more interesting.

At this point, he noticed his suspicions were correct and that plump man was following right behind. Paul chose to say nothing, even after they've gotten to the Battle Palace. They were greeted by an older man, Paul bowed to him, introducing himself.

"Please have a battle with me." He said, rather than asked.

"But of course." Spenser laughed, leading the two around the Battle Palace to an outside field. "I hate to waste such a nice day, but I suppose I can't run around like I did yesterday." Spenser said, "and I assume you wouldn't want to run around either." He chuckled, seeing how gloomy this trainer looked.

Standing on his side, Paul had faith in his Pokemon's abilities. The robot referee told them the general rules. A three on three until one side no longer had Pokemon.

Spenser called out his Claydol, which threw Paul off. Even so, Paul didn't expect the strongest to be let out so soon. Maybe Spenser thought he'd get an easy win with just that Claydol.

Paul threw out his own Pokemon, "Gliscor, Standby!" A white flash revealed his scorpion-like Pokemon. It was sitting nicely on it's tail, in case it needed to fly up.

"Guests come first, Paul." Spenser said, patiently waiting for the attack.

"X-Scissor!" Gliscor crossed it's claws as they glowed and released the power towards the Claydol.

As the attack got closer, Spenser smiled, yelling out "Teleport". The giant Pokemon vanished and found itself in front of Gliscor. "Now Psybeam."

"KNOCK OFF!" Paul quickly demanded. Black sparks surrounded a claw and it scratched the Claydol before Psybeam pushed back Gliscor. "Don't slack, jump up and use Guillotine!" Gliscor quickly regained it's composure as it launched itself into the air. As it's claw brightly shone white, Gliscor flew downwards.

"Teleport again, Claydol." Before impact, the Claydol had disappeared and reappeared behind Gliscor.

Paul smirked, "Turn around and use Knock Off with your other claw." Gliscor turned it's body and landed a direct hit on Claydol. He knew it was an effective more, so it was even better that he had succeeded.

"Charge up a Hyper Beam." Spenser knew his Claydol had more fight in it. Though it suffered a bit of damage, it was only a scratch. Using one of it's arms, an orange ball formed slowly.

"Keep your distance and use X-Scissor back to back!" Paul was satisfied to see he had time to attack relentlessly before Hyper Beam was released. However, he had only time for one hit to make contact.

An orange beam shot towards Gliscor, who didn't have a fast enough reaction to dodge. The Pokemon was hit badly and it resulted in a knock out.

"Gliscor is unable to battle. The first win goes to Spenser." The robot exclaimed.

Paul returned his Pokemon, now remembering the goofy kid had two more Pokemon to use while Spenser only had one. He came prepared, though.

"Froslass, Standby for battle!" She was a faster Pokemon than Claydol, even with teleport, his Froslass could keep up. "Hail!" He watched as the Pokemon began to glow and hoisted itself into the sky. Clouds formed and covered the sun, hail rained down onto them and his Froslass disappeared.

Spenser seemed impressed with the display. Without knowing when moves were coming, he could no longer rely on teleport.

"Ice Shard, Froslass!" The Pokemon appeared and sent her attack towards the Claydol.

Spenser didn't worry too much about dodging attacks. "Rapid Spin." He ordered. The Pokemon spun around, pushing aside the ice. He was using this as his defense now, since it seemed to have worked faster. Paul stood there and waited, since Froslass was hidden again.

When it had stopped spinning, Paul quickly commanded "Ice Beam!"

A white beam made it's target, the Pokemon was now frozen in place. He knew it was only temporary, seeing the ice block shake from side to side. He knew he had to act faster or else he'd lose his chance.

"Finish it with Shadow Ball!"

The dark ball was hurled towards the iced Claydol and because it wasn't able to move, despite the commands of its master, it was a direct hit. The block had shattered and the Shadow Ball forced Claydol to the ground.

"Claydol is unable to battle, Froslass is the winner!" the robot announced.

Returning his Pokemon, Spenser praised it and then sent out another beloved Pokemon of his. Venusaur stood tall and proudly.

Seeing he no longer needed a quick Pokemon, Paul recalled his Froslass and summoned out his Magmortar instead. Because of this switch, the hail had gone away and the sun came back.

Spenser now saw this boy had quite the arsenal of Pokemon on hand. It meant it was no longer time to play around. "Vine Whip." Several vines stretched out to attack Magmortar. Though it wasn't a move that was particularly effective, there were too many to dodge.

"What-?!" Paul was surprised to see how much power this Venusaur really had. He had no time to gawk, he needed to get out of that Vine Whip. "Fire Spin, Magmortar!" Holding out one of it's canon's Magmortar let out a large fire attack, repelling all of the vines back to Venusaur. He had taken very little damage, since it was mostly aimed towards the vines.

"We have to keep our distance, Razor Leaf!" Spenser commanded. A barrage of leaves quickly found it's way to Magmortar.

"Use Flamethrower on the leaves!" Paul used a move he recalled that girl had done when she had battled a Venusaur. The grass attack failed with the leaves now on the ground.

Looking up at the sky, Spenser smiled. "Solar Beam." With the sun shining, it won't take as long to charge up.

Paul's eyes widened, seeing the Solar Beam forming quickly. It felt like deja vu, but there was no way he could lift his Magmortar from the ground.

"Now Venusaur!"

"Aim your arms forward and use Flamethrower!"

The dirt around the field lifted and clouded both Pokemon. Both sides watched with intense eyes, wondered who had been the victor.

Seeing his Magmortar was still standing, Paul was the first to notice the leaves on Venusaur's back. They were both still in. "Fire Blast, hurry!"

A ball on the canon arm of Magmortar charged up and shot to Venusaur.

"Defend yourself with Vine Whip!"

The multiple vines covered the Venusaur in a ball. As soon as the orange ball made contact, it exploded and knocked down the Venusaur.

"Venusaur is unable to battle, Magmortar is the victor!"

Paul smirked, one more Pokemon to go and he had his second Symbol. He watched as Spenser sent out his final Pokemon. The Shiftry he had seen battle yesterday. His Magmortar gave him a look, knowing Paul wanted to use Froslass against Shiftry.

"Got it." He said, looking forward. With such an easy win against Venusaur, perhaps Spenser should've kept Claydol for last.

Spenser kept his smile, "Looks like you have a close bond with your Pokemon. I sense mutual trust. I'm glad." He praised, "I hope you can trust that I won't go down that easy."

Paul was a bit taken back by his words. Trust? He had expectations for his Pokemon, as if they'd let him down. They had no reason to. His Magmortar was confident in a second win. Claydol may have been Spenser's powerhouse, but Magmortar was definitely one of Paul's. He chose not to respond, instead he decided to start their final round.

"Magmortar, Smog!" Opening it's mouth, Magmortar released smoke over the entire field.

"Jump up and use Quick Attack, Shiftry!" As the Pokemon moved to the sky, it left behind a small trail of smoke. Midair, it flinched, purple sparks covering it's body. However, the Pokemon followed through with the attack, diving down to Magmortar.

"Aim upwards, towards Shiftry and use Fire Blast!" Though, the attack was too slow and Magmortar was tackled to the ground. "Pin Shiftry and use Fire Punch!"

Turning the tables, Magmortar used it's weight to hold down it's opponent. It's arm flamed up and further pushed Shiftry into the ground as it made contact.

"Get out of there using Shadow Ball!" Putting it's hands in front of itself, Shiftry launched the dark ball to force Magmortar off. When it was free, Shiftry was quick to return to it's side of the field. It flinched again as the poison took it's effect. Now at a safe distance, Spenser ordered for Shiftry to use Rock Smash. Aiming to the ground, Shiftry uses it's power to move underneath the ground. Beneath Magmortar's feet, the power was let out and rocks exploded everywhere, hitting Magmortar multiple times.

It was getting exhausted now, but Paul refused to let it fall in battle. Though, the poison had gone away and Shiftry was still well enough to battle. He had to think of something before Shiftry made another move.

Then it hit him. His next Symbol would be his soon if he gotten this right. "Fire Blast, Magmortar!" The canon arm fired the orange orb to it's opponent.

"Jump up to dodge it, Shiftry!" The Pokemon obeyed, avoiding the attack completely.

"Put your arm into the hole and use Flamethrower!" Magmortar shoved it's canon arm into the area that Rock Smash exploded. There happened to be a tunnel that led directly where Shiftry stood.

Spencer wasn't going out without a fight. "Shadow Ball!" Before Shiftry was engulfed in flames, it threw the attack to Paul's Pokemon. The Magmortar put it's full power into it's attack. It hit Magmortar, which stopped the Flamethrower. After the flames had went away, Shiftry fell to the ground, completely motionless. The condition of Magmortar was exactly the same.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle. Spenser no longer has Pokemon to use, so Paul is the victor!" The Robot shot confetti out of it's head in congratulations.

After the two returned their Pokemon, Spenser approached Paul with the Spirits Symbol in hand. "You've battled wonderfully, Paul. I expect to see you do well in your next battles."

The teen bowed his head, "Thank you." He said as gratefully as he could sound. Though, it still didn't sound as genuine as he intended. While he had won another Symbol, it satisfied him more that he had learned a new technique.

Leaving for the Pokemon Center, their only spectator ran after him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kid. You look like you can use this."

He was given a case to hold his Symbols. Paul took it, giving him a small "thanks" and then continued his way.

Scott smiled to himself and sighed, "What a fun kid." He said, half joking.

* * *

Paul stood in front of a videophone, his brother on the other line. He had traded some Pokemon for his upcoming battles. After receiving his Pokemon, Paul was about to hang up, but his brother wanted to talk a bit more.

"So… you haven't even been there a week and you already have two Symbols, huh?" Reggie asked, clearly impressed. "Make sure to call me before you challenge Brandon. I'll be there to cheer you on."

The teen nodded, he had no intention of taking his time collecting Symbols. They were only obstacles in fighting a true battle with Brandon. The same obstacles his brother had to face before that final battle. He'd make sure he was certain of his victory, his brother there as support would probably drive him to show Brandon, Reggie and himself what a true battle was.

"I'm going now. I have to get some rest and then head over to my next battle." Paul said his goodbye and left the videophone.

Getting back to his room, Paul began to dug around his bag for a book. He pulled out a familiar piece of paper that his temporary companion had drawn for him. Choosing to ignore it for now, he continued his search. He's find that paper again and throw it away later.

Taking his book out, he finally got to read in peace.

* * *

When he returned to Fuchsia City, it was late in the afternoon due to a delay. Something trivial like Pokemon migrating and they would be disturbed if the ship moved too much. His day had been wasted. But he still decided to travel through route 15. The Battle Dome was closer anyway, he wasn't going to rent a bike either.

It had been some time since he last step foot in Kanto. Only now did he feel a little nostalgic. When he had a Turtwig by his side. Since the sun was still out, he decided to let Torterra out. He ran his hand gently across his starter's head.

"I suppose you and I could have a walk together, huh?" He chuckled a bit, "It'll be a little harder now that you're bigger. You don't mind, right?"

The Pokemon grunted happily as they walked through the short grass and dirt. Paul thought of the walks they used to have, especially when his Turtwig evolved. He made sure there was enough sunlight for the tree on it's back. Paul knew his soft side for his very first Pokemon.

Eventually, they found a place by the sea to sunbathe. Torterra sat itself by the water, his trainer leaned against him, arms behind his head. There was no talking between them, though that wasn't too much of a surprise. It is said a Pokemon is just like it's trainer.

Thinking back to his time with the small Turtwig, Paul recalled their walk to Fuchsia City. Not wanting to take a bike then, they trekked through Lavender Town and down this place to get their fifth badge.

The grass beside them shifted, Paul slowly turned his head to find blue hair and a grin. The world was against him. Her Piplup walked over to Torterra, making small talk it seemed. Torterra was more of a gentle soul than he was, so it obliged, allowing the conversation.

"Hey, Paul!" She sang, looking at his relaxed expression over her shoulder.

Not even a minute went by and he was already annoyed with her. She didn't come over to greet him, he knew. It was his Torterra she was interested in. He opened an eye to glanced at her, before going back to ignoring everything that wasn't his own Pokemon.

Dawn saw that the boy wasn't in any mood to speak, so she snuck by him to pet Torterra. The affection she gave him was in place of her old companion's Torterra. Paul didn't exactly mind it too much, but he was a bit bothered it wasn't genuine.

"You're a sweetie, Torterra. You really can't judge a book by it's cover." She giggled as Torterra nudged her playfully. "No wonder Paul's getting cozy all over you."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked, a little fed up with her sweet talking his Pokemon.

Sitting up straight, Dawn put her hands in front of her. "I-I was actually wondering if I could tag along with you? If you're headed to route 13 that is… I'll be out of your hair as soon as we get to Gardenia Town!" She looked away, a bit embarrassed. She didn't mind travelling by herself, but she valued company a bit more. Though Paul wasn't the her first pick, he was someone she knew. He wasn't a complete jerk, he had shown kindness in his own way. She recalled him putting his own Pokemon in danger to save hers.

After a moment, he sighed, getting up from his spot. "As long as you don't bother me, I really don't care." The second her heard her cheer, he knew it was going to be a hard few days for him.


	4. Chapter 4

With Piplup nestled in her arms, Dawn watched the back of a purple haired teen's head. He agreed to accompany her, but he acted as if she wasn't even there. If anything, she could assume he had forgotten altogether. He walked at a faster pace than her, she had to constantly keep up with him. The silence was a little awkward for her, but she really didn't have too much to say at the moment. She was a little scared he'd get annoyed and then leave her behind.

It was too bad he had to return Torterra, the sun was setting and he explained that the tree on Torterra's back couldn't absorb anything. She thought it was kind of Paul to be so considerate to his Pokémon. She wondered if he let his tiny Turtwig hitch a ride on his shoulder on occasion. She almost giggled at the image of a grumpy Paul with a cute grass turtle perched on his shoulder.

But then it reminded her of Ash again.

Sometimes it'll be just like this with her admiring the back of Ash's head and Pikachu would take his place on Ash's shoulder or hat. Of course, there would be a happier atmosphere, even if they were quiet. She smiled to herself, remembering his excitable personality. It was all too bad he wasn't in his home region at the moment, or else he'd be the first person she'd see.

Her daydreaming caused her to bump into Paul's back. She quickly jumped away from him as he gave her a glare.

"S-Sorry!" She stuttered out, rubbing the back of her head. "I-I wasn't watching where I was going."

Onyx eyes narrowed towards her before trailing away. Paul's lips parted to let a sigh escape, "It's getting late. The trees are blocking most of the light, so we're stopping for the day." He looked up at what he could see from the sky. "It'll be too dark, so we have to set up a fire." He pointed at the ground and leaned a little closer to her. "Stay right here. Don't move." He dropped his bag and then he turned and left her behind.

Dawn's eyes were wide for a moment before she grunted. "Guess he wasted all his energy, that's the most he's talked ever since the Lily of the Valley conference." She looked down at Piplup who just shrugged and hopped out of her arms.

She decided to set up camp. Looking around the area she was supposed to stay at for rocks and twigs. She wanted to set up a small pit for the logs. Dawn then started setting up a tent. It wasn't one that she slept in often, she had it so she could change in peace. Piplup tended to help her with pegs and such, so she was always thankful. Brock and Ash liked to ask if she needed help, but she always gave them the same 'No need to worry'.

After she set up the tent and her sleeping bag was rolled out, she sat on a patch of grass, sighing. Since she planned on travelling alone, she had to use a bigger bag to hold her things. Brock carried a lot with him and she was a little jealous he had the strength to carry cooking necessities around with no problems. Opening her own bag, Dawn pulled out all sorts of Pokémon food and let out her Pokémon to give them a chance to eat dinner while she waited for Paul to return.

She had packed enough food to last her three days, but she decided she wanted to eat with Paul. Her cooking was decent, but he did agree to travel with her, so she wanted to at least share a meal with him. If she could, she'd make him dinner instead, though, she lacked the utensils for it.

The devil himself returned to the spot he asked to her and was surprised to see everything was set up. He dropped the logs he had gathered and threw some into the makeshift pit she made.

"And here I thought I'd come back to a girl spacing off instead." He mumbled.

Dawn smiled a bit, happy to prove him wrong. "So, are your Pokémon willing to join mine to a meal?" She pulled out a small basket, "I've baked some treats for everyone too… If you don't mind me pampering them a bit."

"Treats? If they'd eat it…" Paul decided to go along with her, his Pokémon had to be fed anyway. Calling them all out, Dawn was in awe as she admired them. They all had such a powerful presence and looked so proud of their strength. He began distributing their food and watched some of them keep their distance from Dawn's Pokémon.

"Typhlosion, will you use ember on the logs?" The girl asked sweetly. Her Pokémon obeyed, starting the fire for them.

Paul watched as she went through her bag again and pulled out two lunch boxes. She handed one over to him, "Take it!" She didn't give him time to respond and shoved the box in his hands.

The boy blinked and peeled the lid off, a little surprised it was a homemade meal. He sat on the ground, leaning against the Torterra who recently finished his food. He muttered a 'thanks' as he helped himself to her food.

Smiling, Dawn opened her own box, happily eating. She did want to sit beside Paul, but thought he'd appreciate some space. Some of their Pokémon socialized as they waited to be returned. It was quite the sight to witness the dichotomy between Honchkrow and Togekiss. Though, the Froslass he had really caught her attention. A beautiful and elegant Pokémon would be perfect for a contest…

"Hey, Paul. You're battling Frontier Brains right?" She asked. A nod confirmed her question. "So that means you're going to battle Brandon again, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

Dawn looked down at her food, squirming a bit. "Well… I watched your first battle. Would you let me watch your next battle with him?" She was a bit embarrassed to ask in the first place. Though, Zoey got to watch his second attempt and told her about his loss. At this time, Dawn was still with Ash and would've liked to witness the Pokémon he used in person.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; I don't care." He stated, handing back the empty box, thanking her again. Paul returned all his Pokémon, deciding not to train tonight. The two had a bit of a walk if they wanted to get to the city before dark tomorrow.

* * *

The girl bid her Pokémon a goodnight before returning them all to their Pokeballs. Piplup was left out, as usual and slipped into her sleeping bag. Dawn stepped into the tent to change into her pajamas.

The penguin Pokémon watched Paul set up his own sleeping bag, grabbing a book to read a bit. He missed the liveliness of Pikachu and Ash. He really did want to see his friend again, but Paul's Pokémon weren't very willing to socialize. That Torterra of his seemed like a decent Pokémon, Piplup couldn't really think the others of being like the continent Pokémon.

Exiting the tent, Dawn snuggled into her sleeping bag, hugging the curious Piplup. "Goodnight, Piplup~" She held the Pokémon closer, yawning. "Goodnight to you too, Paul."

"Hn."

The boy was into his book, he almost didn't hear her. He wasn't one for fiction, but he had to pass the time somehow. His body had gotten used to the routine of sleeping when he was finished reading.

It didn't take him too long to drift into slumber, he hardly noticed he was even falling asleep…

 _Opening his eyes, Paul woke up against a tree. The small Turtwig was snuggled in his lap comfortably. A hand reached out to gently pet the Pokémon. It was their third day in Hoenn. As a new trainer, he was a bit nervous about their first gym battle. Wanting to prove his strength, he and Turtwig trained hard as soon as they arrived to Hoenn. Today was no exception. However, he had decided to take a bit of a nap and his Turtwig seemed to want the same._

 _He was met with big grey eyes and a smile. The Turtwig jumped up to bite his arm playfully. Of course it hurt a bit, but Paul always toughed it out. He got up, letting the Turtwig sit on his shoulder and went off into the Petalburg Woods. Trainers would ask for a battle and Paul accepted with confidence. From their previous encounters with wild Pokémon, there was no way he could lose to a kid with some bug Pokémon._

 _His victory over trainers that came his way made him less and less nervous about his gym battle. The city of Rustboro was so big, but it was nothing compared to Veilstone anyway. After he had a rest in the Pokémon Center, he was ready to face the leader. Roxanne accepted his challenge and he faced her with his one and only Pokémon._

 _That day, he tasted his first defeat._

A voice had coaxed him to wake up. His dark eyes slowly opened, but his vision was blurred. Of course, he could only see a blue blob in front of him and sighed. Paul was pretty good at waking up early, but it was still dark out, so what was the problem?

"Paul, don't be angry, but I heard something in the woods and it spooked me a bit. I tried to ignore it… maybe we'll be safer in my tent." Dawn's fingers clenched around his sleeping bag, Piplup on her shoulder, seemingly alert. "I'm too scared to check it myself…" her voice was genuinely nervous. Still, Paul wasn't very happy to be woken up because she heard a rustling in the woods.

The teen sat up and rubbed the back of his head. Slowly, he rose from his sleeping bag, slumbling a bit to grab his flashlight from his backpack. He was sure there was some sort of Rattata, they were quite abundant in Kanto.

"Where?" He mumbled, staring at her finger pointing at the direction she heard the sound. Paul disappeared into the woods. Flashlight pointed at the ground, looking for a small purple rat, he found some footprints. It belonged to a much larger Pokémon, one that looked familiar.

Before he could backpedal to get a suitable Pokémon, he was face to face with a Nidoking… And one a bit bigger than even his own. With retreat his only option, he moved slowly not wanting to lead it back to the campsite. That tail was the very thing that he had to be careful of. The Pokémon roared loudly and chased after Paul. With no Pokémon at his disposal, he needed to lose the Nidoking and return to his Bag. So that girl was right to be afraid...

As if on cue, she stepped out of nowhere, the two colliding. Dawn fell backward onto the ground, letting go of her Piplup who flew into the air. Once again, Paul was fast enough to catch it and smirked. Just what he needed.

"There's a Nidoking approaching, water moves, now."

Piplup looked up at Paul, not wanting to take orders from him. But changed his mind as soon as Nidoking approached the fallen girl. The teen was quick to jump in front of her as the purple Pokémon raised his tail to strike them both.

"Give this thing orders, quickly-"

Before Paul could finish or Dawn could give commands, Piplup acted on his own, using a powerful Hydro Pump. The Nidoking put his arm up to block the water from his body, ceasing his action. Paul took this as an opportunity to grab the girl and the penguin and fled. He had to risk the chance of the Nidoking following them to the campsite. The Piplup alone wasn't enough to keep the fully evolved Pokémon at bay.

As soon as he came to full view of his bag, he was quick to dig through to get out Froslass. Dawn screamed not too far from him, as the Nidoking chased her.

"Ice beam, let's go!" A stream of ice hit the giant Pokémon, pushing him back.

The blue haired girl retreated to her tent, Paul assumed to hide while he dealt with this. This was until a red light formed beside Froslass.

"Help out, Mamoswine, Ice Shard!" The girl ordered. Her Pokémon complied, a blue ball began to glow between it's tusks and shot out ice toward the Nidoking. Her assistance came to the other trainer as a surprise, but he welcomed it.

Their ice moves were dealing quite a bit of damage on the wild Pokémon, to the point it was backing away from them. Eventually, it ran away to prevent itself from further injury. When the air cleared of the cold coming from both Pokémon, Dawn fell to the ground and laughed.

"That was close…" She sighed, looking up at the light orange covering the sky. The sun was rising.

Paul returned his Pokémon and began to gather his things. "Let's get moving, it could come back with company."

The girl stood up and dusted herself off… it was time to get dressed, unless she wanted to travel alone.

* * *

Here they were again, Paul with a quicker pace than Dawn and a sleepy Piplup in her arms. Trying to match his speed this time, she wanted to walk beside him. He didn't seem to notice— or care to notice. Straightening her back, she tried to see how much he had grown compared to her. He wasn't towering over her, by any means, but he was significantly taller than she remembered. Dark eyes glanced at her for a moment and she looked away quickly. Once more, he chose to ignore her behavior.

Looking down at her Piplup, he had fallen asleep from last night's incident. There was no escaping at this point. She knew he didn't want to be bothered, but this silence had gone on for long enough.

"Which Frontier Brain will you battle next?"

He didn't have to make any noise, but she knew he was probably groaning in his head somewhere. She could understand that he wasn't used to company, but he could humor her a bit. The next town wasn't too far off anyway.

"Battle Dome. Actually planning on using Nidoking for the next one." Ironically enough, the one that caused them trouble would be the one he needed for certain victory. The last two were a breeze, but he wasn't used to the style he had heard his brother went through. Double battling… he wasn't sure how to go about it.

"Oh! Well, I hope I can find you after my contests. I'm used to double battles, but the Kanto rules make it so that all our battles are doubles." She explained, thinking of another unlikely duo to pair up together so she could wow the crowds here. From the looks of it, that seemed to spark some sort of interest in her companion.

"Is that so…" He replied, trailing off in thought. Contests were far from regular battling. However, as much as he hated to admit it, he had borrowed something from her previously. His past with double battling made him rely on someone else, but he knew his Pokémon in and out. Just as well as the next Frontier Brain. Witnessing more double battles wouldn't hurt… but it meant watching ones revolving around Pokémon specifically trained for beauty. Still, he never got to see her style too often and she managed to hold herself in a regular Pokémon battle.

They walked at a slow pace, but Paul had no plans on stopping. In fact, he had called Torterra out once more to soak up that nice afternoon sun. The presence of the Pokémon itself was entertainment enough for his temporary female companion. The Piplup in the girl's arms actually hopped up onto the Torterra. Somehow, the penguin had woken up, perhaps from the excitement to see the grass type once again. The two engaged and small talk it seemed.

And the boredom seeped into Dawn as it usually does. Or was it the fatigue finally catching up to her? She glanced at Paul again, the sun now higher and brighter to clearly examine him better. His eyes housed dark circles, his shoulders slightly slouched and his blinks were noticeably slow. So, this guy could get tired too, Dawn mused to herself. It reminded her of his relaxed sleeping face. The strong, usually quiet boy was showing a bit of vulnerability. The fact that Torterra was out might not only be because he needed the light. The huge Pokémon could be also a lookout for Paul, who was clearly not well rested enough.

Paul was a lot of things (usually bad, in Dawn's opinion), but he never failed to show how smart he was; even subtly. Those dark eyes again found themselves staring back at her. She's been caught again! She quickly looked away, embarrassed. Getting Paul to talk was rare, but just looking at him and trying to figure him out helped Dawn understand him a little.

The boy caught on to what she was analyzing. Fixing his posture to hold himself at a more alert position, he stood as tall as he usually did. With another person around, he allowed himself to let his guard around a bit. She seemed more aware than he at the moment. Paul hated to admit it, but the incident last night was taking a toll on him. He became too comfortable with the Pokémon Center beds and decent sleep hours.

"It's rude to stare." Even the sound of his voice told well how tired he was. "You do it often," he added.

A mix of flabbergasted and concern washed over the blunette. Tugging at the ends of her skirt, she didn't want to be completely honest with him. He was an interesting character and she wanted to know more about him. Presumably, if she told him that, he'd be less willing to chat in the future. Finding the courage to look him in the eye again, she just shrugged.

"You seemed a little off to me, is all." The nonchalant tone was hopefully what she needed to convince him. It worked, considering he just fixed his gaze forward. The dark marks now more prominent. She felt pretty bad for him, but she wasn't doing any better.

It took quite a while before the grass beneath their feet became a walkway. Torterra had been returned to his ball not too long ago. The little Penguin now sleeping in Dawn's arms was nice and cozy. Their trainers were still suffering from the fatigue, but they could clearly see a small town in the distance. The sudden burst of energy from the thought of resting came over them as they quickened their pace. The sign they passed told them they were now in Gardenia Town. This was the very place Dawn needed to be for her next Contest.

It was what they've been looking for since this morning. A nice bed. The Pokémon Center was approaching. They were using the rest of their strength they had and drag themselves to the front counter to ask for two beds. Finally, a place to rest. As soon as they got to their room, Dawn rushed into the bathroom to get her and Piplup cleaned up after the long walk. While sleep was on her mind, she needed to be clean in order to sleep properly.

After freshening up, she slipped into comfortable clothes and headed out to the room. On the bed closest to door was Paul, half on the bed. One arm hung loosely onto the side of the bed, his foot nearing the edge. His own clothes a bit dirty still, but he didn't seem to mind at all. The girl walked over to him and placed a blanket over him. He looked like he had no care in the world. Admittedly, she found it a bit cute - as odd as it was.

Seeing her Piplup was already on the foot of the bed, she decided to go to sleep as well. Picking up her companion, she held him close as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Dawn had gotten up while the sun was still rising. Piplup was still asleep, so she got dressed and headed out to begin some early training. She had dreamt about another combination with one of her two favorite pairs. Mamoswine didn't seemed to be bothered to be awake so early, but Pachirisu had to take a while to wake up completely.

"Sorry guys, I just had to see if this worked." The girl liked the idea of them together since they seemed so opposite. A calm Mamoswine versus an energetic squirrel.

Pachirisu took a stance to ready itself for orders. The tusked Pokémon dug it's feet into the ground and stood in place.

"Remember the Ice Chandelier? Let's break try to break that ice apart while you're inside, Pachirisu!" The small white and blue Pokémon nodded, charging it's own Discharge. "Mamoswine, Ice Shard!"

Blue electricity covered Pachirisu as it blocked the Ice Shard and formed it into a ball around itself. The bright blue ball of ice began to move forward as Pachirisu ran, trying to get more energy to break the ice. It seemed the ice was too thick and Pachirisu couldn't break it quick enough to be used effectively in another way.

"It's alright, we'll try it again… Mamoswine, easy on the Ice Shard. Maybe a thinner ball would make it easier."

The two Pokémon set up for round two. However, the ball was too thin and the ice broke as soon as Pachirisu applied more energy. Ice shards spread all over the field and dug into the ground. The sparks of electricity lit the ice up in blue, like Dawn wanted, but it wouldn't travel far enough to hit the opponent.

"We're on the right track, let's go again!" Dawn was optimistic they could do it, it was just about control…

Back in the room, Piplup had finally woken up to find his trainer missing. He hopped up to look out the window, but saw Paul standing and seemingly watching the sun rise. Gathering up a bit of courage, Piplup hopped on his shoulder, since there was no place to stand to see outside. He was watching Dawn. The boy's eyes glanced at the small blue Pokémon and sighed.

"I don't see the appeal to this. And you… an Empoleon is a powerful ally. So why haven't you evolved?" Paul took note of her Pokémon rather than the Coordinator herself. Three of which were fully evolved Pokémon. Piplup reached into the feathers of his back to reveal an Everstone. He then pointed at the rock and then to himself. The penguin then gestured to Dawn and then the stone and shook his head.

"...Your choice then. I'd see to it an Empoleon was put to good use." Paul went back to watching her at work. Mamoswine being a ground type won't be affected by the electricity. So to let Pachirisu cover it completely with Discharge and strengthening it's Headbutt was quite interesting. He was lost in thought until he heard the growl of a Piplup's stomach. The Pokémon on his shoulder rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

Paul moved away from the window to head out of the room. "You should tell her to take a break. She's using up the training field." He put his bag on, which allowed Piplup to stand on it. He exited the Pokémon Center and towards the field. Electrified icicles flew by him as he walked closer to the girl. Piplup quickly hid behind him, in fear of getting struck. The boy gave no warning, instead he let out his Electivire beside Dawn.

"Ah!" The blunette jumped seeing the giant Pokémon suddenly appear. Never had she been so close to Paul's Electivire. His coat was a bright yellow, looked well kept, despite the fact he needed a little brushing here and there. Still, the fur looked soft and healthy. The Electric Pokémon looked back at her and nodded. He remember the Poffins she had made, but he wasn't really sure why his trainer let her stick around. The Pokémon watched her hand try to reach out to touch his fur, but she pulled back when Torterra was summoned out.

"Show me." Paul handed back the blue penguin to his trainer. "The trick with the electricity."

Bright blue eyes widened in shock and excitement. Her Pokémon needed a break anyway, but she was still full of energy herself. She nodded, "Sure! Does Torterra know any moves like Ice Shard?"

Paul thought over for a moment and crossed his arms. "Torterra, Stone Edge!" The continent Pokémon's eyes lit up green as rocks around it swirled around its body. Dawn watched, still impressed by the display.

"Electivire now needs to use to an electric attack to-"

"Thunder on Torterra, let's go." Paul watched as a ball of electricity covered Electivire and transferred that electricity to his other Pokémon. Sparks covered the rocks of Stone Edge and the entire body of Torterra. "Hit that boulder." He pointed at the said boulder. The now electrified rocks shot immediately forward, however not in the direction Paul gestured towards. Dawn thought it would be impossible, until she noticed the glow in Torterra's eyes became brighter. The stones turned and hit the boulder straight on, basically shattering it. The girl could only look in awe as he pulled off something she had been struggling to do all morning. Torterra was still engulfed in electricity, but it eventually subsided.

"You really know how to put a show on, don't cha?" She forgot how powerful Torterra was, its personality made it seem so harmless sometimes. "Say, this isn't the first time you picked up something from me. Like with your battle with Lucy. And then during the Sinnoh League. I remember you using a Counter Shield." She paused for a moment, "Well I mean, you got it from Ash, but he got it from me!"

"A combination of attacks is nothing new. The unlikely match up is." Paul explained, "I have a double battle coming up and you seem to be… well acquainted with that style of battling." He wasn't asking for help, not at all. This was just insight for him, yes, nothing more nothing less. It would just take longer to figure out double strategies on his own. This was merely a means of obtaining new knowledge from a source other than a ground that he's familiar with.

His year of training taught him not to rely on the same tactics and training habits all the time. Watching old battles and current battles taught him many things and how to utilize his Pokémon. Especially with the development of Mega Evolution, he needed to keep up. He was in no way in possession of a Mega Stone himself, but he wasn't really interested in them. Ash somehow beat him with a different strategy and had this girl as some sort of inspiration for battling styles. This could be educational for him. At least he would get something out of his short time with her.

"Hey, I'm glad you stuck around." The girl didn't really know how to ask correctly or if she should ask at all. Gathering the same amount of courage Piplup did earlier, she inhaled, "But could you stay a little longer to watch my contest? You don't have to root me on, it's just nice to have a familiar face in the audience again."

Great, another excuse to see more styles than just hers. And according to her, the contest would be entirely in double battling. "Alright."

That alone earned him a squeal from the girl. She never thought he'd agree. "I won't let you down, I'll be sure to win!" It was a good way to show off her Pokémon to him again. She could be strong too. "Let's have breakfast, I'm starved!" Dawn stretched her arms over her head. Upon hearing that, Piplup jumped in happiness, finally going to get the food he wanted so badly. Dawn left the training ground more determined to do her best in her next contest.


	5. Chapter 5

Today was the day of her contest in Gardenia Town. She had to impress Paul with her own skill in her forté. They made their way to the Contest Hall, a place the boy had never been in before. The place seemed to be a bit crowded, but his companion knew the way to go apparently. They reached what looked to be a door to the back of the hall and she revealed her Ribbon case and Contest pass as proof of participating. Paul was let in the back with her, stating that he was her traveling partner.

He had never been in a place where people were constantly grooming their Pokémon, instead of instructing strategies. Paul wasn't one to fit in, but he really felt out of place. Some of the Pokémon out right now could be used perfect for battles. Their talents were being used for sparkles and rainbows.

"Hey, sit here for a sec, okay?" Dawn gestured at a bench before she left into a dressing room. The teen sat and observed the rest of the room. Unlike a gym battle, she had to fight against other contestants. So there was no way for her to strategize in a timely manner. In short, it was a gamble. This was formatted almost the same way as a League. In the corner of his eye, he recognized a familiar plump man in sunglasses.

"AH! Paul!" Oh no… He was approaching the teen rather quickly. "Fancy seeing you here, I heard there was a Frontier challenger here, but I didn't see you the type to do contests." Scott chuckled, placing his hands on his hips.

"I'm just the audience. I'm with someone." Paul corrected, not wanting to be associated with this kind of battling.

"Oh? Darn, I was looking forward to seeing a prettied up Magmortar!" Another loud laugh escaped the man. This guy really found himself funny, the boy couldn't disagree more.

As if on cue, Dawn finally returned to him, holding Piplup in her arms now. He turned to her and examined her attire. A pink dress with a bow in the front a white collar. It was one he had seen before. But was it necessary? What she was wearing was adequate enough.

"Ah, so you're with her… I don't remember seeing her with you before." The man held out his hand to her and smiled wider, "Nice to meet ya, I'm Scott. I watch over challengers like your friend. Lemme tell ya, he's a strong guy."

The girl blinked in confusion, but gladly took his hand. "I'm Dawn, nice to meet you too." When she let his hand go, she gave Piplup to Paul. "Hold him for me? He's kind of like my own cheerleader." She clasped her hands together and made a face that resembled a begging Growlithe. He just rolled his eyes and nodded. "Thanks Paul!"

An announcer over the intercom called all coordinators to report to the back of the stage. Companions will be escorted to their seats after the coordinators have left.

"Wish me luck!" Piplup put his flipper in the air and cheered. Dawn looked over at Scott and gave him one last smile, "I hope you enjoy my performance too." With that, she turned to leave. Paul didn't know what to think of this, but he hoped to learn a lot in his time here.

"She's a cute one for ya, huh? Wonder how she puts up with that grumpy face." The man kept up his chuckling, it was really getting on Paul's nerves.

"She doesn't. We're not friends." He got up from his seat, putting Piplup on his shoulder. "I'm just here for research purposes."

The announcer called for companions to report to a certain section of the audience and it was his just his luck. Finally, he could get away from that annoying guy… Or so he thought. Scott followed behind him. Once they got to their seats, the man also chose to sit next to him. This contest would take longer than Paul initially thought…

The contest went underway. A woman by the name of Lilian Meridian was introducing the three judges, one of which was the Nurse Joy of the local Pokémon center. She explained that the first round of the contest was a Performance round. Which meant Paul had to sit around and watch people waste moves on making things pretty and shiny. Thankfully, he brought along a book so he could ignore the contestants' performances.

It took awhile for the woman to announce Dawn's appearance. That was when Piplup jumped up to the rail to get a better look at his trainer. Beside him, Paul noticed the man shifted in his seat, paying a little more attention to her. He did this to a trainer prior, but he assumed it was the Frontier challenger he was talking about. Paul had no interest until he heard her call out Togekiss. Then his eyes looked up from his book to see what she could do with it. Togekiss was a pretty strong Pokémon, maybe he could take note.

"Togekiss, Aura Sphere!" Dawn commanded. A bright blue ball formed and Togekiss used it's wings to throw the ball upwards. This was a move inspired by Princess Salvia herself.

"Now, Air Slash!" The Pokémon obeyed, spinning upwards in a light and hit the Aura Sphere directly, spreading shards of the move everywhere. "Finish it off with Sky Attack!" Togekiss charged up as it did in a fight Paul had seen already. It caught all the shards and spread them all over the stage, breaking it up even more. As it circled around, it descended gradually until it was beside Dawn. Togekiss spread it's wings and let out the bright shards everywhere, a neat display of sparkles fell down and around the stage.

The crowd then cheered and Dawn was praised by the announcer woman. Paul rolled his eyes and returned to his book.

"That's real pretty, looks like she worked hard on the precision of that. Must take a lot of control for her Togekiss to use Sky Attack so delicately." Scott held his chin, examining the show better. "Wonder how these guys have time to think up of this stuff and then train their Pokémon for battles…" If only they could get the battles started, then Paul could start researching strategies.

"After a wonderful Performance round, only eight competitors can move onto the next stage!" Lilian gestured to the giant screen in the middle of the stage. "And here are our top eight!" The screen lit up with the trainer's profiles one by one. Piplup nearly fell forward trying to see if Dawn made it, but he was caught by Paul last minute. The unwanted guest sitting next to them saw this and laughed.

The penguin jumped up and down, cheering again. He looked up to see Dawn's face on the board. The pictures began to scrambled and she was matched with a trainer for the battle rounds. Fortunately she was the first one, so he could see her strategy at work.

It didn't take too long for her to be called up to the stage. The board said they had a limited time of five minutes. He never knew they were on a time constraint. Usually Pokémon battles went as long as needed, since two powerful opponents could take a while. There also seemed to be a health bar beside their portraits. Contests didn't seem to be too complicated, but there was too much technicality for Paul's taste.

The opponent let out a Dragonair and a Roserade. In return Dawn summoned out her Togekiss and Buneary. In no time the battle had begun.

"Twister Dragonair! Roserade use Energy Ball!" The two Pokémon obeyed. Roserade open it's mouth and a ball of green formed. The dragon waved it's tail around, creating a tornado. As the Energy Ball was released, the Twister combined with it and it lit up the tornado green.

"Buneary, jump onto Togekiss, dodge it!" Dawn warned, trying to save her Pokémon from injury. The rabbit hopped onto Togekiss and the other Pokémon flew up higher than the twister. "Hold on tight, Buneary and use Ice Beam! Togekiss use Air Slash!" The Jubilee Pokémon charged downwards, spiraling towards their opponents. Buneary made a sort of barrier to defend as well as attack. Roserade was quick enough to get out of the way of Togekiss, but Dragonair was hit with the combination attack.

Paul watched the bar decreased on the side of the opponent's score. They both used pretty interesting moves combos, he was now watching intently. Piplup was usually at the edge of his seat watching these battles.

While Togekiss moved to it's original position, Buneary jumped off and stood in front of it. "Good job, guys, let's keep it up!" Dawn threw her fist in the air, happy they started out strong.

"Just a scratch, Dragonair, don't worry about it. Roserade, charge up your Solar Beam! Dragonair, get close and use Protect!" The dragon stood firmly in front of it's ally and summoned up a barrier. The flower Pokémon began to gather up energy to use it's Solar Beam.

"Don't wait for it, guys! Ice Beam and Aura Sphere, break that defense!" Dawn gripped her fists, hoping the barrage of attacks could break Protect. It wasn't a permanent defense. Dragonair looked to be in trouble trying to hold off the powerful moves, the bubble now cracking. Roserade finally made a sound of readiness and it jumped up to release it's Solar Beam.

"Dodge it!" Buneary used Bounce to get away from the attack, but Togekiss was hit directly. Dawn's points began to deplete from the attack and lack of teamwork. "Oh no! Are you okay, Togekiss?" She watched her Pokémon recover and give her a cry of approval, "Alright! Buneary, while you're up there, use Ice Beam on Dragonair! Sky Attack, Togekiss!"

"Not a chance! Thunderbolt, Petal Dance!"

The first to make contact was the Ice Beam and the Thunderbolt, which both exploded and created a dark smoke to cover the action. Petals followed suit, aiming for the Buneary currently in the air. It was another direct hit and the rabbit fell to the ground, Dawn gasped in concern. The smoke cleared in a small portion to show a charging Togekiss, which hit Roserade head on.

The flower Pokémon fainted from the attack and Buneary was down as well. Both contestants lost more than half their points. Togekiss and Dragonair was left. The smoke cleared, they were standing on the opposite sides, panting. They didn't have much left in them.

"We can do this, Togekiss, for Buneary." The Jubilee Pokémon nodded, ready for anything. "Just like we practiced, you ready?" Another nod. "Fly up now!"

"I don't think so, hit it with your own Ice Beam!" A stream of ice left Dragonair's mouth and followed Togekiss up.

"Dazzling Gleam, let's finish this!" Togekiss used a move that Paul had seen once before. Spinning around the Ice Beam, flying downwards and covered with a rainbow glow. And as he had seen, it was a lethal hit. Dragonair was knocked down and out. There was silence before the board lit up Dawn's portrait.

"Victory goes to Dawn!" Lilian shouted, hyping the crowd to follow suit.

The girl quickly scooped up Buneary and smiled. "You did great, thanks for your hard work." She pet her other Pokémon as well, "and you did just as good." She stood up with both her companions and smiled at the crowd. Her eyes searched for Paul and found him leaning forward. She gave him and Piplup and even bigger smile.

Scott got up and said "She sure is something. Tell her congrats for me," Before he left the audience. Paul sat back in his seat. Five minutes to win a battle. It was an interesting concept, but would be harder if it were a three on three. He had a lot of thinking to do while he watched the rest of the battles.

* * *

He was back in the coordinator's lobby, waiting for Dawn to return. She was running towards him with the Ribbon in hand and a smile. Her arms were open wide, almost as if she were going to hug him. In actuality, the Piplup on his shoulder jumped into her arms and she caught him.

"We did it, Piplup! Our third Ribbon!" She was laughing and cheering. All the boy could do was witness her victory. She had never looked this happy before. It gave him a bit of nostalgia. He had a feeling like this when he had won his first badge. Of course, he didn't have a victory dance like this. Nonetheless, when he was young, this what what he felt.

Pulling himself from his own thoughts, he still had a few words for her. "Congrats. It was an interesting battle." Dark eyes met blue ones, which widened before they filled with the same happiness.

"Thanks Paul. It means a lot!" Dawn walked passed him, "I'll get changed and we can go back." She returned back to the changing room and left him to wait again. He gained a lot of insight from this contest more than he actually thought he would.

The blunette came back and grabbed his arm. "Let's go get something to eat! Since I'm in a good mood, it's my treat!" She giggled, pushing through the crowds. They needed to find a place since contests attract a lot more people.

They found a diner and sat in their booth, waiting for their meals. Paul stared at her and tapped his finger at the table. He had a few things to ask her, but he didn't want to spark a certain reaction from her. Maybe something small to start with?

"You said it was your third Ribbon? Where was the other place? I saw part of your win on TV, but that was once." It was something to pass the time at least. He was actually curious, where had she gotten her third one, how many did she need?

"I got my first in Chrysanthemum Island and the other in Wisteria Town. There was not a lot of Islands in Johto and you know there aren't ones in Sinnoh… I just enjoyed the islands for a little." She recalled her battle, using Typhlosion and Piplup. Her offensive combinations were getting better, she thought. Since she didn't take a break from contests, there was always inspiration. "So now I only need to win two more contests and I'm ready." She proudly proclaimed, being alone was something she got used to in Johto. Having Paul around gave her more motivation. "What about you? You're heading out to the Battle Dome, right?"

Paul looked into his drink. He knew where the next road would take them, but he wasn't happy to go there at all. "I'm making a detour to Lavender Town. I have business there." His gaze drifted out the window. Dawn leaned a bit forward out of curiosity.

"What's there? I don't hear much about that place." This wasn't the first time someone mentioned Lavender Town. No one seemed happy to talk about it. "Mind if I come along to see what it's about?"

Paul raised an eyebrow at her, as if she should already know the answer. He supposed she was just being polite. "I don't care. Do as you wish. We leave early morning." There was a bit of silence, but he didn't want the girl in front of him to control the conversation. "How do you go about matching your Pokémon with each other during double battles?" It was a lot to take into account. Weaknesses and movesets, would they complement each other or not? What about typing?

"Well, if you train your Pokémon in pairs, they get used to it. So all my Pokémon are friends with each other and get along nicely. Without me asking, they'll give each other a helping hand." Dawn tried to find a way to explain to intentionally leave out the appeal to moves. He was on the offensive, so she had to think that same way. "Combo attack in unlikely ways will throw off my opponent. Even if I don't have the advantage, I make sure that I have a way to defend. Both Pokémon should be protected if it can be helped. It's a team effort, not individual strength. Opposite or not, they have to work together." From what she had seen, he had his Pokémon work together on a singular enemy. His methods, however, were to train just one Pokémon, not all.

Their food had arrived, Dawn had an omelette with a Piplup drawn in ketchup. She found it curious that Paul usually ate something that resembled a home-cooked meal. Tonight it was curry over rice or something in that range.

At this point, she had gotten used to the silence. If she wanted to stare, it would only be for a small while. He stayed the entire contest and met with her afterwards. He was watching the other matches, of course, but she didn't expect it. At this rate, maybe she'd be his permanent traveling companion. If Ash could lightenen him up a bit, maybe she could teach him it's okay to have fun. The issue was how she could possibly convince him to have fun and what to do.

"Paul?" She got a small hum from him in response, "Thanks again… for coming along." She flashed him a wide grin. The boy just sat there with his cheek full of food, unable to reply. He usually only questioned why she even wanted his company, but never why she was happy about it. Was it really because she was that lonely? Girls were strange to begin with, this one was beyond strange.

"I suppose I still have more work to do…" He sighed before he took another bite of his food. They still had a bit of a way before Lavender Town and even the Battle Dome itself. There was more than enough time to train, so he needed to think of pairs to put together tonight. The other issue that came up was his selection of Pokémon and the opponent's Pokémon. A contest had stress due to time. A battle like this was different, the stakes were higher.

The two ate the rest of their dinner, with small talk sprinkled here and there. Soon, they were on their way back to the Pokémon Center. They were lucky enough to have missed the rain. As soon as they returned to their room, the rain was falling pretty hard. Paul hoped that in the morning the rain would subside.

* * *

It was nearing afternoon now. The duo were staring out the window in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. The impatience began building up in Paul, the girl beside him was feeding newly made Poffins to Piplup. This person had time to _cook_ while they waited for the rain to stop. Dawn gave him a small handkerchief full of Poffins. They were for his Pokémon later, since she was worried Piplup would eat them all without sharing. He took them and placed them in his pocket. Not too interested in giving them to any of his Pokémon.

According to Nurse Joy, it would go on all day. Paul could be out there training. Instead, he was wasting his time on a couch.

"We're leaving now. I don't want to be here any longer." The boy stood from his seat and gestured out the door. "Or I'll leave on my own."

Dawn returned Piplup to his Pokéball and followed Paul out the door. The undercover area was the only barrier between them and the rain. Digging into her bag, the blunette pulled out an umbrella barely big enough for the both of them. She opened it up and stood by the other teen. She really should've brought a raincoat.

"I don't need it." Paul grunted, trying to get out of her range.

"I don't think so, Mister. If you get sick, I'm not gonna baby you to health." She shoved the shaft of the umbrella into his hand and stood by him. "You gotta hold it, since you wanna leave so soon." It wasn't like she enjoyed being out in the rain either. He was being stubborn and so she'd show him the same thing. It was for his own good, after all. "Lead the way."

A deep sigh escaped the boy's lips as he walked towards Route 14. It would be a long way until they had gotten to Lavender Town. If the rain wouldn't let up, they were going to be out here eventually. If he didn't make the detour here, he would've been in Lavender Town by now. It was his decision to be here, but that didn't make it less annoying.

Gardenia was now covered by the trees behind them. Those same trees were lessening the rain a bit. Occasionally, water from the umbrella would drip onto Dawn's arm. It annoyed her a bit, but she noticed that if she asked him to move the umbrella closer to her, he'd get wet too. Without warning, she moved closer to him, their arms touching uncomfortably. It wasn't like she had a choice. It didn't make this choice any less embarrassing. Predictably, he looked down at her with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm just making sure none of us get wet, okay?" She sighed, not wanting to explain any further. They would be walking like this for the next few hours. There had to be something to break the awkwardness. She made a mental note to not only get a raincoat, but an extra umbrella. Due to their closeness and the fact they needed to be beside each other, she had noticed something. His pace was slower. There was no previous effort to be made to allow her to keep up. Now, he was forced to walk her pace. If he really wanted to, he would've given the umbrella back and walked on his own. The more time she spent with him, the easier it became to read him. Not to say it was incredibly easy, but she understood him a bit better. No one wanted to get wet. She offered her umbrella and he didn't protest. She wondered how he got through the rain. If Paul really got impatient to the point he walked in the rain.

They had been walking for a while now, their mood drained from the rain. Dawn's boots were getting muddied along with Paul's shoes. The wind was blowing and the umbrella could flip inside out. The rain was hitting their legs. This wasn't going to stop for a long time and the tree were no longer helping.

The boy stopped walking for a moment and then grabbed Dawn's arm. He pulled her in a different direction. In the distance, they found a cave. It was remarkable that he could spot it from where they stood. Or perhaps Dawn wasn't paying enough attention to ntoice. Closing the umbrella, Paul handed it back to her. "Stay here and I'll explore the rest of the cave. Don't do anything." With that, he left her to venture in the darkness with a flashlight.

The blunette huffed and looked around to gather up another set of rocks for a fire pit. She then opened up her umbrella to collect the wet twigs and fallen branches. It was better than nothing, they would need it sooner or later. Returning to the entrance of the cave, she dropped the wood into the fire pit.

Paul returned not too long after that. He found the cave was small and had nothing at the end of it. There was no tracks, meaning no Pokémon chose this cave as a den. This would be the second time he returned to a campfire. "I told you not to do anything."

"I've been doing this on my own for a while, so I can't really help it." Dawn smiled up at him, "Did the man wanna do it on his own?" There was a bit of sarcasm in her voice as she giggled.

"Just give me the umbrella, those won't last forever." Paul held out his hand and she handed him the umbrella. Without another word, he left her and tried to find bigger pieces of wood. He made sure to look for ways to retrace his steps back to the cave. With the rain, it made it harder to see and the afternoon was turning to dusk. As he walked through the forest, collecting as much wood as he could. He was stronger than her, so he could easily hold more.

He was heading back to the cave until he heard some rustling in a bush. It could be a Pokémon looking to escape the rain, so he just ignored it. Then a familiar cry met his ears. He turned around to the sound and followed the direction of the rustling. As soon as he got to the bush, the cry came up again. Then a clearly hurt Pokémon found itself cornered and tried to stand it's ground. It was a small Turtwig.

"What are you doing in Kanto?" He placed the wood down and tried to reach out to the Pokémon. The Turtwig threatened to bite his hand. It was shaking in weakness or fear, Paul couldn't tell. But he needed to gain it's trust. He remembered the Poffins and reached into his pocket. He offered the few Poffins to Turtwig. Hesitantly, the turtle Pokémon came out and began to eat the Poffins. Looking a little closer, there seemed to be a blue scarf around the neck of Turtwig. This only meant he most likely had a trainer.

"I won't hurt you. I'll take care of you." He said as the Pokémon continued to munch on the treats. Turtwig looked up at him after he had finished eating and nodded. Paul let the turtle onto his shoulder and picked up the wood. He wanted to know what happened, who owned Turtwig and why it was out here.

Once he came back to the cave, Dawn had already lit the fire for them. She gasped at the sight of his sporting a Turtwig on his shoulder. He dropped the wood beside the fire pit and place Turtwig close by to keep it warm. Paul removed his jacket and placed it around the Pokémon in attempts to dry it off.

"Wow, he doesn't look too good. You poor thing…" She dug around her bag to look for something to heal it. The Blunette pulled out a few potions and handed them to Paul. She pet the Turtwig gently as Paul sprayed the potions. "You're a bit far from home. Aren't you?" She noticed the blue scarf as well and tilted her head. "You are a boy, right?" Turtwig nodded, smiling as she rubbed his head. She glanced up at Paul with a worried look. His dark eyes were narrowed as he did his best to aid Turtwig.

Once the Pokémon was dried off, he went into his bag and got out Pokémon food. Placing the food in front of Turtwig, he got up and picked up the umbrella once more. "Watch over him, I'm going out again. Maybe someone is out there."

Dawn got up and grabbed his sleeve. "Listen, it's already dark out. The rain is getting worse. You'll just get sick." She tugged a little harder at him, "So you're staying here, Paul!" The pink boot was now on the ground, she would take no more of his shenanigans.

Not actually expecting her to react that way, he just gave her a strange look. Another sigh and he was beside Turtwig once more. She took her place next to Paul and they watched Turtwig eat. They sat against the cave of the wall, keeping warm from the fire. It was finally a time to rest after their travels today.

When Turtwig had finished, he crawled into Paul's lap and slowly drifted to sleep. Dawn had never witnessed Paul act so delicate around another Pokémon. She probably knew what was on his mind. This reminded him of Torterra, this was his first Pokémon. Getting up from her spot, Dawn went to fetch her bag and got them another one of her packed meals. They had yet to eat themselves.

She tried to hand him one, but before he could reach out, Turtwig bite his wrist. He seemed to be dreaming and playfully gnawing. Surprisingly, she saw him react pretty calmly with no signs of pain.

"I'm used to it." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. His fingers scratched along the jaw of the Pokémon and he had let go. Paul took the food and gave her a "thanks" as he started to eat.

They stared out at the rain, it couldn't possibly rain anymore. During their meal, Dawn let out her own Pokémon to feed them and offered to help feed Paul's. He accepted as he was occupied with the turtle Pokémon. Though his Pokémon were pretty intimidating to be around, Dawn was brave enough to give them their bowls. The eating Pokémon were a significant distance away from Paul. It looked like he needed some time to be alone.

She noticed Torterra staring at them, looking a bit nostalgic. The girl approached it and pat it's head. "He's probably feeling the same way. I didn't know he could be a softy." She giggled and Torterra gave her a nudge. She got the message and went back to the others. None of Paul's Pokémon really engaged in chatter. They just ate silently. Compared to her Pokémon, who seemed to be focused on Buneary and Togekiss' performance last night.

Dawn came up to the semicircle that Paul's Pokémon made and sat with them. Sans Torterra, his current Pokémon were: Electivire, Magmortar, Froslass, Honchkrow and Gliscor. She smiled at them, trying to strike up conversation.

"I remember when you were a bratty little Elekid." She turned her attention to Electivire, "Now you've gotten so big, it makes me wonder where the time went." The girl brushed her hair with her fingers, "You seem to have a lot of fun battling. You are really strong, what else could I expect from Paul's Pokémon?" This made Electivire puff out it's chest in pride, earning a groan from Magmortar. The two were bickering with one another, Dawn couldn't help but laugh.

Paul watched as Dawn spoke to all of his Pokémon, Torterra had joined in a while ago. She was making some of them laugh even. It was interesting to him. He didn't think she'd want to befriend any of his Pokémon. He thought she'd at least be somewhat intimidated by them. What really surprised him was Dawn's attention to Froslass. She had stood in front of her and examined her better. Then said something that embarrassed the ghost type and made his other Pokémon chuckle.

Once they had all finished their meals, she returned everyone back to their Pokéballs after bidding them good night. She then made her way to Paul, taking a seat by him. Turtwig was now nibbling his hand again.

"If you're used to it… that means Torterra used to do that a lot to you, huh?" Dawn asked, hugging her knees. She hoped this was a chance for him to open up. The rain suddenly became calming, but didn't seem to want to let up for a while.

Paul's eyes focused on the fire for a moment. Perched on their backpacks beside it was his jacket. It was hung on them to dry. He supposed she put it on there while he wasn't paying attention. "He was more lively before he evolved. It was hard for him to be hyper when he was considerably heavier." He explained, petting the top of Turtwig's head. "For a while it was just me and him. I met him the same way you did with your Piplup… In Professor Rowan's Lab. He tricked me. Thought he was the calmest of the bunch and the most promising. I was wrong about one thing." Paul chuckled to himself, "He slowed down eventually, when his body was too heavy to jump around. I couldn't carry him when he evolved."

It was funny to think Dawn didn't think too much about Paul's past. She always saw him as a guy who always knew what he was doing. He was always put together. But he had humble beginnings just like everyone else.

"Y'know… the more time I spend with you… the more I think we're becoming friends." She muttered her thoughts out loud, but was sure he could hear them. Blue eyes met grey and a big smile found its way onto the girl's face. "I really like having you around."

If she squinted, she could see his cheeks turning a bit pink. "You can blush!" She giggled. He quickly turned away, hiding how embarrassed he was. This was her intention the entire time? To befriend the rival of Ash? This is why she was stubborn and tried to stay by his side. He had a hard time believing it. She just wanted the company, she didn't want to be alone. But here she was, sitting so closely. Shaking his head, he needed to compose himself.

She wanted to be his friend. He hadn't heard that in a long time.

Paul didn't speak after that. He just closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the rain. It was about time he went to sleep. There was no need to dwell on her words any longer. Besides, who knows if she'd stick around after the Battle Dome. That could be the time they finally part ways. After a while, he felt a bump on his shoulder. His eyes opened and looked down at the girl sleeping on him. Paul could only sigh and follow suit.

* * *

There was shouting and shaking. Someone was disturbing his sleep again. Would this become a habit of her's? Paul groaned, opening an eye and looking at the girl in front of him. She had a panicked look and pointed at the entrance of the cave. Rain still poured down.

"Turtwig is gone, get up!" Dawn screamed.

His eyes shot up. Paul shifted in his place and looked around to find no traces of Turtwig. He quickly got up from his spot and looked at the entrance. The blunette was quick to grab his arm.

"Please think this over. Maybe he's looking for his owner and-"

"And we leave him out there with no protection? Yeah right!" Paul gave it no other second thought. He pulled his arm back and did not hesitate to run into the ran to retrieve Turtwig. All Dawn could do was watch him.

She looked behind and realized he hadn't taken any Pokémon with him.


End file.
